Glad it worked....so how is HD DVD on the 4805? We need to hear more in this forum.
Well, I didn't want to pass on a judgment based only on one HD-DVD movie (Aeon Flux) I saw thus far. I played SD version of this movie on D1 (DVI) and the HD version on A1 (component). I used the 4805 remote to switch between the two. The improvement I saw on HD-DVD version of Aeon Flux over the SD version is slightly punchy colors, vastly improved sharpness and very good detail in background and darker scenes. I didn't see major improvement on close ups. The difference is not as dramatic I expected over the D1 and that I believe that is due to the lower resolution of the 4805. On SD-DVD discs I would rank the A1 slightly better than the Oppo 971, and the Bravo D1 slightly better than A1. For those of you who have the Bravo D1, unless you want to experience HD-DVD, you are in good hands with the D1. I tried to take some pictures but all the shots came out fuzzy on two digital cameras we have, the HP Photosmart M425 and Canon A520. I would try to take some again. I still I need to see a few more movies before passing a final opinion on this format on our beloved 4805. But there in no substitute for extra resolution when it comes to HD based on my limited viewing. HD-DVDs I have lined up for this weekend include Spy Game, Unforgiven and Full Metal Jacket.

Update on my problem. All seems to be fixed now. I have a intercooler for my Xbox 360, since I got it a few weeks back has never thrilled me with the power connector. The 360 power does not fit tight into the intercooler like it does the 360. So, I disconnected the intercooler from the 360 and powered back up. Well, no more darkness problems in 720p. I turned on the pj and it was terribly bright, so turned everything back down. All is working.

I tried to recreate the problem with no success. I don't know if it was the intercooler, have no idea why that would give me darkness problem under 720p. I will try and hook the intercool back up later tonight, if I have any new developments I will let you guys know.

Thanks for the help Ja Phule and all others.

Well, I didn't want to pass on a judgment based only on one HD-DVD movie (Aeon Flux) I saw thus far. I played SD version of this movie on D1 (DVI) and the HD version on A1 (component). I used the 4805 remote to switch between the two. The improvement I saw on HD-DVD version of Aeon Flux over the SD version is slightly punchy colors, vastly improved sharpness and very good detail in background and darker scenes. I didn't see major improvement on close ups. The difference is not as dramatic I expected over the D1 and that I believe that is due to the lower resolution of the 4805. On SD-DVD discs I would rank the A1 slightly better than the Oppo 971, and the Bravo D1 slightly better than A1. For those of you who have the Bravo D1, unless you want to experience HD-DVD, you are in good hands with the D1. I tried to take some pictures but all the shots came out fuzzy on two digital cameras we have, the HP Photosmart M425 and Canon A520. I would try to take some again. I still I need to see a few more movies before passing a final opinion on this format on our beloved 4805. But there in no substitute for extra resolution when it comes to HD based on my limited viewing. HD-DVDs I have lined up for this weekend include Spy Game, Unforgiven and Full Metal Jacket.
Cant wait for your report! Thanks
BTW, let me share my last two awesome expeirences with Best Buy and Circuit City. Went to Best Cry and asked if the clerk if he thuoght the HD-DVD would be a good match for my 4805. He said it wasnt worth it and that I will be better off getting an upconverting dvd player for better image quality. WTF!? So his amazing brain figured that my I will get a better image by "creating" detail from a DVD than downconverting a HD-DVD to my projector's resolution....freaking genius.
Next was short-Circuit city, asked the same thing and tried to explain why I thought it will look better than DVDs since DVDs only have about 270 lines of color resolution, he stopped me right there and laughing at me, basically made fun of me telling me there is only one resolution 480 lines for dvd! He continue to laugh at my claims of color resolution, needless to say I was pissed off. I am going there this saturday with a print out of what color resolution is and gonna call him AND the manager to teach this moron that first, you CANT make fun of customers specially when they know much more than he does.

Take it easy, Luis!!!
That´s because you do not know how are we attended in that class of Store here!!!
Or for what reason you think I´m sharing my expirience with you on the States!!!

Sup man! :-)
I can accept their incompetence but making fun of people I wont take.
I am still trying to collect feedback on HD-DVD and the 4805

I am still trying to collect feedback on HD-DVD and the 4805
Me too, but the info is coming in rather slowly and sporadically.

Luis, I'd seriously do as you said, and then I'd make a real point of letting them know that you are a highly vocal person with lots of contacts with interests in AV gear. It's likely that you'll receive at least a gift certificate and hopefully an apology from the clerk if the manager has any sense.

Having worked for a big box I can say that while you may get a response from the companyh it's more a less a crapshoot... more often than not they do so much volume and their major clientel is people who are unedjucated and buy the marketing over any real research that their point of deminishing return on effort is pretty low... in othe words they don't have to do much to have the ignorant masses come pooring through their doors, and trying hard to win the devoted, educated, demanding people like us over.

I'm unable to get my GeForce FX5200 card to parse EDID data from the pj now that I've switched over to a 35ft DVI-M1 cable from Monoprice. This was working when I had a 12ft cable. Without this I'm unable to select HDTV resolutions.
Are there any work arounds considering I have PowerStrip? I attempted to write a custom monitor profile via PowerStrip, but was unsuccesful at having the HDTV settings available afterwards.
Also, is there a downloadable monitor driver for the 4805?
Regards,
Ward
-----------------------
eVGA brand GeForce FX5200 [PCI / AGP 8X]
nVidia ForceWare drivers: 81.xx and 91.xx
Win2K Pro
SP4805 firmware: v1.2.1

Ok guys, im fecked officially.
My color wheel shattered and dislocated light tube as well.

I am in Russia, and service centre is unavailable at this time.

Where can i get me these parts asap ???

Thanx
:confused: :(

lynzoid, sorry to hear of you problem. I may be mistaken, but I think those parts aren't available separately and are part of what is called the light engine. Don't know how you'd get it fixed in Russia, but perhaps InFocus would sell it to you.

You won't believe it, but i :
1. GLUED SHATTERED COLOR WHEEL picece by piece. Used cyanide glue. Helluva hard job. Wheel was in like 10 pieces.
2. GLUED LIGHT TUBE together, used same glue. IMMACULATE square picture.

Sure, the fact wheel is glued, have effect on my picture, but it's shockingly small !!!!
As most shattered were RED and Yellow, pj have now something which looks like a noise on intensive reds and yellows. BUT overall picture quality is OK! Now i can calmly proceed with seeking of replacement wheel.

Cheers
PS. i will try to make pictures of my sloppy job =)

EDIT: That's what i call fecking willpower.

Cyanide glue? :eek: Isn't that what killed Susan, George Costanza's fiancee?

I plan on a quick simple test (As soon as I get the DVI-D to HDMI adapter from monoprice)
Speed, did you get the DVI-D to HDMI adapter from monoprice? Do you have any issues with it? Are you using any HDMI switcher with it? I plan on buying one ASAP. I appreciate your or anybody else's experience with this.

Cyanide glue? :eek: Isn't that what killed Susan, George Costanza's fiancee?
LOL! I hope he didn't have to lick his fingers today :)

Cyanide glue? :eek: Isn't that what killed Susan, George Costanza's fiancee?

=) most modern 'super glue's are cyanide based.

I am pretty sure he meant CA glue (Cyanoacrylate Glue) which is found in most hobbye shops and is a very watery glue that is extremely strong. This could potentially be excellent news if it makes fixing the light tube possible!

Sup man! :-)
I can accept their incompetence but making fun of people I wont take.
I am still trying to collect feedback on HD-DVD and the 4805

I have the 4805 and the HD-A1. What do you want to know?

I am pretty sure he meant CA glue (Cyanoacrylate Glue) which is found in most hobbye shops and is a very watery glue that is extremely strong. This could potentially be excellent news if it makes fixing the light tube possible!

Yes ! It is Cyanoacrylate glue.

Tips for glueing TUBE:
1. It's RATHER EASY with correct approarch.
2. I used makeshift 'rig', actually 90degree angle of edge of a thick piece of glass.
3. Cleaned all pieces with lens cleaning fluid. I used surgical gloves at moments to keep all clean.
4. Main thing is, you have to glue it without ..mm...how to say... overlapping mirrors ?
i picked 1 big and 1 small pc. first, put them at 90 angle, EDGE TO EDGE, on the 'rig'. And using pin put some (not much but not too little) CA glue on the back of edges. spread it.
One part done. Next i took 2nd BIG piece, and using same rig glued it to L shape i got first. Then easy - last piece on top of it.
5. Keep in mind, CA glue will fog the mirrors, so after each glueing i used wooden toothpick with aid of cleaning liquid to make sure mirrors are clean from CA fog.
6. Before doing all that find what side of mirrors are 'workside'. It's bright. Back is dim.
7. Then you got it complete it must look like this:
g---------g
|eeeeeee|
g---------g ,
NOT like this:
---------
|eeeee|
--------- !!!! [e] is empty space, [g] - glue =)
Last part is positioning it correctly back inside 4805. Very easy, worked on 1st try.

As to color wheel, it really looks appaling after my repair =) But it works ok =)

Anyone willing to sell me color wheel/motor ? I can offer good money. Maybe off dead PJ ?

Thanx and GOOD LUCK ! It's completely doable !

Speed, did you get the DVI-D to HDMI adapter from monoprice? Do you have any issues with it? Are you using any HDMI switcher with it? I plan on buying one ASAP. I appreciate your or anybody else's experience with this.
SW, yes on cables with no issues and I did put the D1's DVI-D to Hdmi cable to a Monoprice 2 port switch. I then ran a hdmi to hdmi to the switch from the Moto 3412 DVR. I had the output going directly to PJ and it works fine. Just a little disappointed in the moto 3412 and the fact it doesn't support AVR hdmi repeaters.

I have decided to leave the moto 3412 connected to the yammy through component and moved the DVI-D to hdmi cable from the D1 back to the yammy's HDMI input (Until I can find a HDMI switch or somehow to bypass the HDCP stuff). I just like controlling the various inputs from a remote without getting up to push a button. I am going to use the switch in the bedroom (32" LCD flat panel) and put the SD-850 in there with the Camcast HD STB and run one HDMI cable to the LCD. This will give me a clean look without a bunch of cables running up the wall. Wife will be pleased.

The monoprice 2 port HDMI siwtch works very well for HDMI inputs (DVI-D to HDMI also) outputting to the 4805. If I didn't have the AVR's HDMI inputs/output, I would use the monprice hdmi switch to the DVI-D/M1 port of the 4805 and also run Component from the AVR to PJ for the rest of my stuff.

I have the 4805 and the HD-A1. What do you want to know?
Have you compared Hd-dvds to the best DVDs out there like Fifth Element? What is your call, is it worth it or is it better to get a IN76 or the like instead?

Have you compared Hd-dvds to the best DVDs out there like Fifth Element? What is your call, is it worth it or is it better to get a IN76 or the like instead?

My PJ:
AE9000
IF 4805

Get a good 720p PJ because the PQ from what I have seen from my Panasonic it has much smoother and better overall PQ. Even if I sit farther away I can notice the difference. And the pixels are much less noticeable to which for me is very crucial.

Personally Its definitely worth it upgrading to a 720p PJ from IF 4805. Don't get me wrong the IF 4805 aside from its SD resolution can show very good HD images but once youve seen a HD PJ you will suddenly notice its shortcomings.

My viewing habits are 95% HD so it makes sense for me to go to a higher resolution PJ and when the Pearl comes out I will get my hands on that too (maybe show you guys pix :) )

I'm still using the IF 4805 for gaming since this thing is very bright and I can play even when its daylight (the sun is not shining directly at the screen).

My PJ:
AE9000
IF 4805

Get a good 720p PJ because the PQ from what I have seen from my Panasonic it has much smoother and better overall PQ. Even if I sit farther away I can notice the difference. And the pixels are much less noticeable to which for me is very crucial.

Personally Its definitely worth it upgrading to a 720p PJ from IF 4805. Don't get me wrong the IF 4805 aside from its SD resolution can show very good HD images but once youve seen a HD PJ you will suddenly notice its shortcomings.

My viewing habits are 95% HD so it makes sense for me to go to a higher resolution PJ and when the Pearl comes out I will get my hands on that too (maybe show you guys pix :) )

I'm still using the IF 4805 for gaming since this thing is very bright and I can play even when its daylight (the sun is not shining directly at the screen).
I will probably go with a 720P first intead of the hd-dvd. Besides, that way I will buy the HD-DVD cheaper anyway. I will get a DLP though....sorry but LCDs are not for me.

I plan on getting HD DVD eventually. Now that I have an LCD tv, I have no reason not to get an HD DVD (other than money of course). I'm probably going to have it send component to both devices using my 4x2 radioshack component switch.

Well, I was playing with Comcast HD today and even with all my HTPC tweaks the PQ from INHD broadcast easily better than DVD so now I am thinking maybe the 4805 is good enough for this as well :-) I also noticed that HD works better in my case using component over DVI since I get less artifacts (interlaced?) although I can see that the image is slightly sharper and has better color when using DVI.

I must say the Jacksonville game had me in awe! I cant wait til the season starts. Does anyone else get scanning lines on the top few rows of pixels on some SD content? Im running my TW STB (SA 3250HD) set to "pass-thru" over component to the 4805.

Well, I finally got around to hooking up the Motorola DCT6412 with HDMI, only to get a weird HDCP message (I only caught a glimpse of it), then unhooked it, as I'm using the cable for my D1. Now my component inputs are dark as hell, and if I set the cable box to 1080i, it's also fuzzy and distorted. :eek:

WTF happened? 720p/480p isn't as distorted, but is still very dark (as in having to set the brightness up to mid 80s, while all other sources are fine at 48). It wasn't this way before. :confused:

What do I do now? Would getting a different 6412 resolve the issue? I tried unplugging/resetting the box and it did nothing. :( Many thanks in advance.

Anyone who knows exactly how many ansi lumens the 4805 produces ?
The specs says 750 High mode, and 600 low mode.

But i have read in a review that it only produces 450 high mode, and 350 low mode.


And in another review 614 high mode, and 467 low mode

The reviews are from projectorcentral, and hometheaterhifi

In my calculations it gives me very different Ftl´s then.

Which ones are right ?

I have white walls. So I´m watching movies at night.
I am projectin from 3,6 meters on a 77" diagonal, 1.1 gain screen, and using low mode.
Which gives me from 37,5 Ftl (600 Ansi lumens) to 21,9 Ftl (350 ansi lumens)
So I don´t know if I should apply a ND2 filter.
Will it get to dark if it only produces 350 Ansi lumens ?

Anyone who knows exactly how many ansi lumens the 4805 produces ?
The specs says 750 High mode, and 600 low mode.

But i have read in a review that it only produces 450 high mode, and 350 low mode.


And in another review 614 high mode, and 467 low mode

The reviews are from projectorcentral, and hometheaterhifi

In my calculations it gives me very different Ftl´s then.

Which ones are right ?

All of them are right in their own way. Everyone seems to measure their ftl differently.

spyder, I have the same cable box and using component out have no issues whatsoever. Remember the settings for component are at 50 (neutral) and the M1 is at 58/28.5 gains/offsets. Cable looked just a little better via my DVI to M1 but I preferred using the digital input for my OPPO DVD player.

What I do have issues with is the newest firmware. I just got my 4805 back from InFocus. I heard the grinding noise occasionally and sent it in as a preemptive move while my warranty was still in effect. Now I can switch from SDTV to HDTV witout any extra button presses, but it takes forever and if I happen to have my DVD player on at the time it changes from TV input to DVD input when I change channels. I changed my auto source setting to OFF, but I forgot to see if that resolves the issue, I'll check later tonight. Anyone else have problems with the latest firmware?

Anyone who knows exactly how many ansi lumens the 4805 produces ?
The specs says 750 High mode, and 600 low mode.

But i have read in a review that it only produces 450 high mode, and 350 low mode.


And in another review 614 high mode, and 467 low mode

The reviews are from projectorcentral, and hometheaterhifi

In my calculations it gives me very different Ftl´s then.

Which ones are right ?

I have white walls. So I´m watching movies at night.
I am projectin from 3,6 meters on a 77" diagonal, 1.1 gain screen, and using low mode.
Which gives me from 37,5 Ftl (600 Ansi lumens) to 21,9 Ftl (350 ansi lumens)
So I don´t know if I should apply a ND2 filter.
Will it get to dark if it only produces 350 Ansi lumens ?

Well, I finally got around to hooking up the Motorola DCT6412 with HDMI, only to get a weird HDCP message (I only caught a glimpse of it), then unhooked it, as I'm using the cable for my D1. Now my component inputs are dark as hell, and if I set the cable box to 1080i, it's also fuzzy and distorted. :eek:

WTF happened? 720p/480p isn't as distorted, but is still very dark (as in having to set the brightness up to mid 80s, while all other sources are fine at 48). It wasn't this way before. :confused:

What do I do now? Would getting a different 6412 resolve the issue? I tried unplugging/resetting the box and it did nothing. :( Many thanks in advance.

You need to send an email requesting your cable co. install new firmware for HDMI repeater support. (Good Luck) I have a similar problem with the Moto 3412 DVR from Comcast. After I setup the 3412 with 1080i and 16:9 output and connect it to my AVR HDMI input I get the dreaded "this deivce does not support HDMI repeaters," error. Once I get this error it resets the MOTO 3412 back to its original base settings (4:3, 480p, etc.). You probably need to go into setup on the 6412 and redo the basic setup options for your specific needs.

I should have been more specific. Here we go:

I did have the dct6412 hooked up with component directly to the 4805 and it worked fine over 1080i before this mess. I also had the Bravo D1 hooked directly to the 4805 with DVI and it worked fine. I got the DVI>HDMI adapter from monoprice. I put the adapter on the DVI>M1 cable and hooked up the 6412 directly to the 4805 just to see what it would look like vs. component. Then, a weird message flashed about HDCP, which only lasted a second or two so I didn't get to really see it, then the screen went blank. I am not using a repeater, nor a switcher, nor am I running the cable through my receiver. All cables directly in, except for S-vid for other equipment like PS2, etc. I took off the HDMI adapter, and hooked the D1 back up directly to the 4805. Everything fine there. I went back into component mode on the 4805 and it was then dark as hell, plus distorted over 1080i hooked up directly. 720p/480p hooked up directly works without distortion, but still dark as hell. 480i output is fine, not dark, no distortion, and works over component directly to 4805. S-vid works fine direct or ran through 20 devices from hell to breakfast.

All other posts I found were having issues using repeaters or by hooking up to receiver, then monitor.

spyder, first, do you have the current firmware? It's probably obvious, but have you tried unplugging the cable box for a minute and then plugging it back in? Often that solves problems. Also, even thought it's a P.I.T.A. you could try resetting the pj to factory presets and start all over again. I think it's the cable box, but I'm guessing.

Ditto to what Martin posted. Try resetting the 4805. I have hooked up a Monprice cable directly to the DVI-D/M1 port of the 4805 and no problem. I even hooked it up to a 2 port monoprice switch that is HDCP compliant along with the D1 and manually switched between the Moto 3412 and D1. BUT, if you got an quick error message I would also check the 6412 to make sure the settings are correct.

Good hunting

Martin,

Current firmware for the 4805 or the 6412? I did unplug the cable box a number of times, as well as reset it to defaults with no improvement. I didn't try resetting the PJ due to the pita factor, but since the component worked fine before it sure seems like a Moto issue.

speed,

Are you talking about reprogramming the 6412 in regard to the settings in the menu when it's turned off? And, maybe I should/do know this, but what is a "rev code"? Since the 6412 and 3412 are nearly identical, they should be the same, with the exception of the 3412 being all digital.

My Infocus 4805 projector doesn't work with my computer anymore. My set up consisted of using a 25' cable DVI>M1 bought from monoprice. What happened was, I tried to install a second video card (trying to setup dual screen) and the projector stopped working. I thought I busted the video card so I switched to a different brand and it still didn't work. The projector however can still display images when plugged via Component, VGA to M1 , and Composite video, but not DVI to M1. Does anyone have an idea what happened? Should I try to upgrade its firmware? Help please.

Staples extended warranty update: Ok I'm having a problem. I sent my projector to AMJ electronics, they verified it was a light tube problem and called infocus to get some parts. They were told by infocus that the only way the light tube goes bad is if I neglected routine lamp cleaning or I slammed the projector down really hard. I cleaned the lamp at 100 hours and I only have 133 on it now. I have never abused it. It has been sitting on a shelf since the day I bought it. Now the repair shop has to try and convince the warrany company to repair or replace it and that I didn't abuse it. This will definitely be the last time I buy an infocus projector.

Does anyone know if I can pixel map through a HDCP compatible DVI or HDMI switch? I've looked everywhere but can't find the answer. I would like to be able to switch between my HTPC and STB. 848x480 for the HTPC and 1080i for the STB.

They were told by infocus that the only way the light tube goes bad is if I neglected routine lamp cleaning or I slammed the projector down really hard.Someone's lying, and I doubt that it's InFocus. :mad: Insist on a 3-way telephone conference with AMJ, you and InFocus.

Does anyone know if I can pixel map through a HDCP compatible DVI or HDMI switch?Certainly.

They were told by infocus that the only way the light tube goes bad is if I neglected routine lamp cleaning or I slammed the projector down really hard. I cleaned the lamp at 100 hours and I only have 133 on it now. I have never abused it. It has been sitting on a shelf since the day I bought it. BOB WILLIAMS!

Are you listening to this S**T!!??

SD DVD 480p thru component output
http://www.filelodge.com/files/hdd9/232691/AVSforum/SD2.jpg
HD DVD 1080i thru component output
http://www.filelodge.com/files/hdd9/232691/AVSforum/SH4.jpg

I tried cropping it but I can't seem to make it identical size for the screenshots. Also they are not the same frame but I trust you guys to ignore it and just see PQ. I have a few hours free time so I did this little project. I can do this thing much better (using capping option from software players but right now that is impossible) with a better camera and more time to prepare. So don't get too ctitical :)

Setup for this are the following:

IF 4805 default settings, 1200 hrs
92" Da-lite matte white
HD-A1 FW 2.0
4.1 MP Fuji A345
Tripod
Dark room.

I used the player for both HD DVD and SD playback and used the component output to PJ. Installed the camera on the tripod and its about 10 feet from the screen (which explains why you are seeing the screendoor effect). We all know to minimize SDE is to sit far enough until you can't see or the SDE is at its minimum without losing the "big screen" experience. For me when I use this PJ I'm about 16 feet away. Also the PJ is showing the 480p image of the 480i SD DVD.

There is no discernable difference when I'm watching them. Even when I use HDMI on HD DVD version. Which means purchasing a HD DVD player won't give you the dramatic results you have come to expect. Its different story if you are using any of those HD ready CRTs (tube or PJ) and HD flat panel sets.

The IF 4805 is an outstanding performer no doubt about it but getting all that HD glory from HD DVD and D-Theater this PJ will not suffice altough it will still produce excellent image.

More screenshots using HDMI for HD DVD:

SD DVD 480p thru component output
http://www.filelodge.com/files/hdd9/232691/AVSforum/SD6.jpg
HD DVD 1080i thru HDMI output
http://www.filelodge.com/files/hdd9/232691/AVSforum/HD6.jpg

And Finally:
SD DVD 480p thru component output
http://www.filelodge.com/files/hdd9/232691/AVSforum/SD7.jpg
HD DVD 1080i thru HDMI output
http://www.filelodge.com/files/hdd9/232691/AVSforum/SH7.jpg

Start saving for that 1920x1080i PJ. For me I can't wait to get mine :D

I can see a minor difference, but I really don't have the budget for an HD-DVD player right now anyway. So, to me, it's great to know that I'll be getting quite possibly the best picture possible with my old DVD collection and my Bravo D1 when pixel-mapped. Thanks for the pics...

By the way, the first two pics don't work.

I can see a minor difference, but I really don't have the budget for an HD-DVD player right now anyway. So, to me, it's great to know that I'll be getting quite possibly the best picture possible with my old DVD collection and my Bravo D1 when pixel-mapped. Thanks for the pics...

By the way, the first two pics don't work.

If the majority of your viewing habit are DVDs then you are set.

If the majority of your viewing habit are DVDs then you are set.

That and video games. My cable provider doesn't even offer HD channels yet, and I'm in an apartment surrounded by trees so OTA isn't an option either. I'll be alright as soon as I order a new lamp...I'm just on the fence as to whether or not I should worry about buying an extended warranty.

I'm sure paying for another lamp at full price 18 or so months from now won't be any trouble for me, but the extra money for the warranty would be kind of a problem for me at the moment since I'm only now getting settled into my new place with a new job and all that.

I called tech support myself and when I mentioned the light tube problem, the tech said that he had never heard of that before. This is typical of Infocus, deny the light tube problem exists and then blame the consumer for the faulty part. If I get denied a repair or replacement because of what the useless tech support told Tony at AMJ Electronics, I'm going to sell this POS and never buy another Infocus product again.

This is typical of Infocus, deny the light tube problem exists and then blame the consumer for the faulty part.
You should have said "This is typical of (any Consumer Electronic Company), deny the (any common problem) exists and then blame the consumer for the faulty part." This attitude is common among most manufacturers, especially when dealing with a non-authorized servicer; and InFocus has NO authorized servicers when it comes to projectors as I understand it. (not an unusual situation for this type of product)

Most Manufacturers insist that you deal with the Authorized Servicer before they will comment on any problem. I've been in the service business for years and the "correct" (but extremely unpopular) method for repairing a product that has "Factory Service Only" as a requirement is to have the "Factory" perform the repair (or estimate) and have the "Extended Warranty Provider" pay for the repair or replace the unit if the estimate is too high.

This has been a common problem since the start of third-pary warranty insurance coverage on all types of products. InFocus is just not going to co-operate with someone they see as unqualified to work on their set. I expect that the first thing they told AMJ was to send the PJ in for service, which they refused to do. If AMJ is a large reputable servicer, specializing in projector repair, they should be able to contact Texas Instruments for replacement parts: otherwise, InFocus is the only servicer who should be working on your PJ. If there is no warranty involved, then alternate servicers are an option.

I called tech support myself and when I mentioned the light tube problem, the tech said that he had never heard of that before.Maybe the problem is one of nomenclature or jargon. When InFocus fixed mine, they called it a "banding" problem. They NEVER used or even acknowledged the term "light tube" that we use in this forum. Try calling again and tell them you have a vertical banding problem on the side.

Regardless of what 3rd party service center I use, if the warranty company keeps referring to Infocus for the cause of the problem, I am always going to be blamed for mistreatment and the warranty company won't pay for anything. Lesson I have learned is don't buy an Infocus projector(or any other brand) unless the warranty is thru their company or you will get screwed. Hopefully someone can learn from my mistakes.

Anyone who knows exactly how many ansi lumens the 4805 produces ?
The specs says 750 High mode, and 600 low mode.

But i have read in a review that it only produces 450 high mode, and 350 low mode.


And in another review 614 high mode, and 467 low mode

The reviews are from projectorcentral, and hometheaterhifi

In my calculations it gives me very different Ftl´s then.

Which ones are right ?

I have white walls. So I´m watching movies at night.
I am projectin from 3,6 meters on a 77" diagonal, 1.1 gain screen, and using low mode.
Which gives me from 37,5 Ftl (600 Ansi lumens) to 21,9 Ftl (350 ansi lumens)
So I don´t know if I should apply a ND2 filter.
Will it get to dark if it only produces 350 Ansi lumens ?

No one who can help me with this ?

Bergowitz,

Please NO NOT post the same question 3 times per day. Ja already partially answered your question yesterday. If you think it's too bright, use a filter, if not, don't. I understand you're a new member, but continually repeating the same post over and over is akin to a child constantly interupting a conversation and is just plain rude.

Lesson I have learned is don't buy an Infocus projector(or any other brand) unless the warranty is thru their company or you will get screwed. Hopefully someone can learn from my mistakes.


Sorry to hear about your predicament, this is bad news for anyone with a third-party extended warranty. I guess InFocus wants to keep the EW market all to themself so they can charge an arm and a leg for it (compared to the Third party rates).

Case in point, just look at some past posts on how they treated some of the 4805 owners and the rates they were quoted for repairs on a product that obviously has a design defect. These people were simply out of warranty and wanted their beloved PJ fixed, and If remember correctly they were quoted more than the price of the PJ to fix this "light-tube" problem.

This is really interesting as now it seems like anyone thinking (myself included) of buying a Third-party warranty needs to think twice before doing so as the expectation that the PJ will be fixed through that EW seems like wishful thinking.

I have a refurb unit for which I bought a 1 year EW from IF, which will expire in a couple of months, and I am in no hurry to upgrade my PJ. I still want to use it for atleast another year if not more and I know there is a high probability that the "Light-tube" issue will crop up in the future.

What to do then to guard against this issue, to make sure it gets fixed when it happens and that I could keep using the PJ? That is other than paying IF a shitload of money for their EW.

I guess there is no other way. Anyone have a better idea?

Bergowitz, I've never seen a profesional review that had the same meaurements as another professional review. Sometimes they were close, sometimes quite different. There are different types of measuring devices and different ways to measure, so there's no true answer to your question. InFocus' specs tend to be more accurate in the real world than many other manufacturers, but generally, specs are figured with whatever setting produces the best numbers, not the best picture. A good rule of thumb, cut manufacturers specs in half after calibration.

Do as JaPhule said, if you find it bright, use a filter for a while. I liked my InFocus projector as it came, without a filter, (I use a grey screen) It's around 1000 hours now and it probably looks like it would have with the filter, nice, but definitely in need of as low a light level as possible.

Welcome to the forum.

Does switching inputs back and forth in a fairly rapid manner cause issues for anyone?

I ask because I did fix the dark component problem by resetting the 4805, but when I switched between the Moto DCT6412 (component), Bravo D1 (DVI>M1), and PS2 (S-vid) back and forth a few times, it happened again. Another reset, and it was fixed once more, but I still am pretty annoyed and perplexed by this.

Men build Home Theatres. Boys ask their wives for permission to try.
I hadn't noticed this signature before. Priceless!

-Dan

xylon, are those pictures a good representation of the differences you see? I am gonna try to compare some old HD movies I got somewhere taken from cable broadcast and take some comparison pics tonight.

I have the 4805 and HD-A1. And those pics do not represent what HD-DVD looks like on the 4805.

I have the 4805 and HD-A1. And those pics do not represent what HD-DVD looks like on the 4805.

Well of course they look much better in person.

xylon, are those pictures a good representation of the differences you see? I am gonna try to compare some old HD movies I got somewhere taken from cable broadcast and take some comparison pics tonight.

To me I see no difference at my viewing position. Maybe if I get really close but that is just silly. I don't watch movies that way.

My question is cause when watching Comcast HD I can really tell there is a difference specially in color clarity between HD and DVDs but its hard to compare fairly without having the same movie to do so. The only HD I got for comparison will be those captures that I mentioned so that will have to do in my case. Heck, I can even sit closer when watching HD and not be bothered.

Luis, why not look ahead in the guide for HBO-HD or whatever movie HD channel(s) you have and find a movie that is coming on sometime later, then go down to the video store and rent the same movie? Pause the DVD and the Comcast box at the spame place(s) and just do an A/B comparison by switching inputs. I'd guess that would give us a rough idea, at least.

Always good to hear from a fellow Utahn! :)

My box doesnt have DVR features so that wont work for me. Still, I am about to start taking pics and will post later.
Regards

I have searched this thread but not seen it come up in discussions.

I would like to use my 4805 outside of my HT occasionally. I don't want to mess with my mount/cables, so I'd like to get a 2nd power cord. Outside of contacting InFocus, does anyone recommend a 3rd party power cord?

Unfortunately I cannot easily check the specs on the power cord the way I have it mounted.

EDIT: I found the part number and have located a few places that sell it for roughly $20 delivered.

InFocus: 210-0023-00

GL

Regardless of what 3rd party service center I use, if the warranty company keeps referring to Infocus for the cause of the problem, I am always going to be blamed for mistreatment and the warranty company won't pay for anything. Lesson I have learned is don't buy an Infocus projector(or any other brand) unless the warranty is thru their company or you will get screwed. Hopefully someone can learn from my mistakes.

Thanks for supplying this info, as it definitely sounds like 3rd party extended warranties are NOT the way to go. Infocus took my repair request (just sent it off) based on my explanation of the "light tube" issue found on these forums, along with the description of the amber vertical stripe on the right side. My question to you is how old is your projector? The 4805 mfr warranty is two years, so I'd be surprised if yours is older than that... Send it directly through the Infocus channels, but be sure to register your pj first (not sure if this is done automatically through purchase, but I believe I did mine online when ordering my replacement bulb while guessing approximately when I purchased it)

gonelong, don't worry, almost any standard power cord will work fine. Any nonsense about voiding a warranty is just a protect their A**clause. I use an Acoustic Zen power cord that was left over from my high end hi-fi days. When I compared it to the InFocus power cord that came with my pj it seemed to have a little less snow, so blacks were cleaner and colors popped more. Mind you, this was still a subtle thing. Just get a nice heavy duty cord, not a thin cheap one.

Thanks for supplying this info, as it definitely sounds like 3rd party extended warranties are NOT the way to go. Infocus took my repair request (just sent it off) based on my explanation of the "light tube" issue found on these forums, along with the description of the amber vertical stripe on the right side. My question to you is how old is your projector? The 4805 mfr warranty is two years, so I'd be surprised if yours is older than that... Send it directly through the Infocus channels, but be sure to register your pj first (not sure if this is done automatically through purchase, but I believe I did mine online when ordering my replacement bulb while guessing approximately when I purchased it)


The problem is if it was a refurb unit, it only had a 90 day warranty and that is why many people bought the 3rd party EW to feel safe, but it seems like that strategy is not faring well.

Yes mine was a refurb unit. Hence the extended warranty. Just for an update, Amj electronics has contacted the warranty company and gave them three choices repair, replace or refund. They are supposed to get back to him today, but I won't hold my breath. They are not good at returning calls. If it does get repaired or replaced, I'm going to sell it and buy a different brand with a two year manufacturer warranty.

Good news !!!!!!

I found local Supplier for
1. 4805 Color Wheel - 250$
2. 4805 Light tube - 250$
Both parts = 450$
+shipping from Moscow.

Email or PM me.

Cheers

Good news !!!!!!

I found local Supplier for
1. 4805 Color Wheel - 250$
2. 4805 Light tube - 250$
Both parts = 450$
+shipping from Moscow.

Email or PM me.

Cheers

If these are authentic, then the company info should be definitely be posted and put in the 4805 FAQ!

Outside of contacting InFocus, does anyone recommend a 3rd party power cord?ANY IEC computer power cord will work, available form ANY computer store. Or use this one (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103017&cp=&origkw=iec+power+cord&kw=iec+power+cord&parentPage=search) from Radio Shack.

Yes mine was a refurb unit. Hence the extended warranty. Just for an update, Amj electronics has contacted the warranty company and gave them three choices repair, replace or refund. They are supposed to get back to him today, but I won't hold my breath. They are not good at returning calls. If it does get repaired or replaced, I'm going to sell it and buy a different brand with a two year manufacturer warranty.


Refund is the worst option here for you. I mean what the hell are you going to do with your $ 99 or 150 whatever it was that you originally paid when you have a broken PJ sitting at home.

Its like a car insurance company tells you that instead of honoring your policy when you need it, they will refund you your premium for the last cycle.

I hope it all works out for ya.

ANY IEC computer power cord will work, available form ANY computer store. Or use this one (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103017&cp=&origkw=iec+power+cord&kw=iec+power+cord&parentPage=search) from Radio Shack.

Fantastic, thank you. I was getting ready to order one online for $14.00 delivered ... I pass a Radio Shack on my drive home so I'll save myself $6-7 and 2-3 days of waiting.

EDIT: I guess I am a little slow on the uptake. I think you are telling me that this is nothing more than a basic power cord for a computer monitor ... correct? I have a few of those laying around the house ... is there any worries in using one of them or anything I should double check before giving one a try?

GL

Gonelong, yes, it's just a basic IEC power cord, but I'd buy the radio Shack one cavu recommended, it's probably a bit heavier duty than a standard computer cord.

My question is cause when watching Comcast HD I can really tell there is a difference specially in color clarity between HD and DVDs but its hard to compare fairly without having the same movie to do so. The only HD I got for comparison will be those captures that I mentioned so that will have to do in my case. Heck, I can even sit closer when watching HD and not be bothered.

I recorded to the DVR charlie and the chocolate factory in HD. Just went to Blockbuster and bought 4 movies (4 for $20, Charlie and the chocolate factory, polar express, day after tomorrow & Phantom of the opera all widescreen editions). So I will be viewing it and making comparisons later tonight with the D1.

Although I would like to comment that the HD material on HBO, TNT & local broadcasts is no where near the quality of INHD, INHD2, Discovery, HDnet, HDnet movies (When with Dish) and OTA local HD.

I think they are using a higher compression rate on some of the broadcasts. Or at least it seems that way since some of the all HD content providers like INHD, HDnet, Disc, etc. shows look so much more vibrant, colorful and sharper images than the HBO/TNT video's. (Not to mentiion that I believe HBO/TNT HD shows sometimes are not HD and do not include 5.1 sound). HBO/TNT are probably compressed from the original Sat. transmission and then re-compressed again over the cable, whereas the HD only content providers send a non compressed transmission to the cable companies and only compressed over the cable. What do y'all think? MHO not based on fact.


I will take some sample pics and post (which I have taken before but never posted due to them being blurry) and you can see the great color saturation and sharper image using HD but I don't have a tripod and they get blurry. I will try and use a bar stool to set the camera on so I don't move. Maybe even not have a beer or rum and coke in my hand either. :D

If these are authentic, then the company info should be definitely be posted and put in the 4805 FAQ!

This is not a company as such, it is local repair shop, which happens to have good stock.
Other parts also. I can help you by going there with your money, buying it and shipping it.

Just installed their color wheel. Very nice picture.
It is 100% authentic, made by Unaxis Optics.
Light tube is actually Unaxis Optics LightTunnel(TM).
Who would've thought.....

Anyone know where I can find all of the factory default settings listed on the web?

Some test Pics. I have more but need to re-size for viewing and uploading. If you look at the pic you will see either a bar with DVR on it for comcast or a Step -> which is the Bravo D1. I will get some more samples later, first want to watch a movie. They are close, but I find the sharper image and colors a little better in the HD version. But they are close. Once I upload the J. Depp face pic from the D1, you can see the sharper image difference. Also, the images are heavily compressed and not real to life.

http://gallery.avsforum.com/data/508/medium/HT_PICS_007.jpg
http://gallery.avsforum.com/data/508/medium/HT_PICS_006.jpg
http://gallery.avsforum.com/data/508/medium/HT_PICS_010.jpg

I think this is my gallery which includes some pics of my HT room. Don't laugh.

http://gallery.avsforum.com/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=7548349

When I start up my 4805, sometimes there is a high pitched "whirring" noise, almost like a table saw when you are pushing the wood through the blade. Obviously something (color wheel, fan) is touching something it shouldn't be touching. After a while, the sound quietens down, but it seems to be happening more and more often lately. Any information would be greatly appreciated. I tried a search, but this thread is huge...

Thanks in advance,

Paul

Some test Pics. I have more but need to re-size for viewing and uploading. If you look at the pic you will see either a bar with DVR on it for comcast or a Step -> which is the Bravo D1. I will get some more samples later, first want to watch a movie. They are close, but I find the sharper image and colors a little better in the HD version. But they are close. Once I upload the J. Depp face pic from the D1, you can see the sharper image difference. Also, the images are heavily compressed and not real to life.

http://gallery.avsforum.com/data/508/medium/HT_PICS_007.jpg
http://gallery.avsforum.com/data/508/medium/HT_PICS_006.jpg
http://gallery.avsforum.com/data/508/medium/HT_PICS_010.jpg

I think this is my gallery which includes some pics of my HT room. Don't laugh.

http://gallery.avsforum.com/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=7548349


I can notice a difference in quality. Man, I wish I could get some HDTV up in mah crib, but I have no choice but to wait for what's probably a crappily compressed feed from Bellsouth...ah well, c'est la vie.

Newbie here. I just wanna give my experience with the SP4805.

I bought one about 13 months ago and loved it. Last month when I turned it on I started hearing a weird noise. It turns out the fan somehow got warped and started rubbing. Of course it finally gave out and fortunately the warranty is still good so it is now in the Infocus repair dept.

While I was without it, I bought another one on ebay for a couple hundred bucks (spare parts) and when I got it I put my lamp in it and it worked great for about 3 weeks. Last night my son turned it on and it was making a horrible noise. I checked it out this morning and it is the color wheel making all the noise when it spins. I noticed when it wasn't spinning that it wasn't a complete circle. There seemed to be a piece missing. Sorta like a pie with a slice taken out. Question: Is that what it supposed to look like?

Since I bought it second hand, Infocus said "The warranty is not transferable from the original registered owner.", which means I am free to take it apart. Any suggestions on what I should do?

Also, anyone know where you can buy replacement fans?

That's the same noise I heard before the fan went south. Double check to see if it's the color wheel or fan. I had both problems with 2 different projectors and there are 2 seperate distinct sounds:
1. Fan - whirring" noise, almost like a table saw when you are pushing the wood through the blade. (That was a great explanation) But it's not real loud.
2. Color Wheel - Very Loud noise. Like electric arc sound. Sorta like the sound the electricity made in those old Frankenstein movies. Loud enuff for my wife to hear upstairs.

I think the sound you hear is the fan behind the lamp. The way I found out was to remove the lamp and start the projector. The first thing that kicks in is the color wheel. The fan behind the lamp won't kick in unless the lamp is in and the lamp door is on so that little switch is pushed in. See if that helps determine what is making the sound.

When I start up my 4805, sometimes there is a high pitched "whirring" noise, almost like a table saw when you are pushing the wood through the blade. Obviously something (color wheel, fan) is touching something it shouldn't be touching. After a while, the sound quietens down, but it seems to be happening more and more often lately. Any information would be greatly appreciated. I tried a search, but this thread is huge...

Thanks in advance,

Paul

sounds like color wheel bearing.

Xylon,
How did you include those large images, ("Quickie" 4805 screenshots with HD-A1) with your post? I only know how to do this as attachment, and my screenshots exceed the 500 KB attachment limit pretty easily.

Newbie here. I just wanna give my experience with the SP4805.

I bought one about 13 months ago and loved it. Last month when I turned it on I started hearing a weird noise. It turns out the fan somehow got warped and started rubbing. Of course it finally gave out and fortunately the warranty is still good so it is now in the Infocus repair dept.

While I was without it, I bought another one on ebay for a couple hundred bucks (spare parts) and when I got it I put my lamp in it and it worked great for about 3 weeks. Last night my son turned it on and it was making a horrible noise. I checked it out this morning and it is the color wheel making all the noise when it spins. I noticed when it wasn't spinning that it wasn't a complete circle. There seemed to be a piece missing. Sorta like a pie with a slice taken out. Question: Is that what it supposed to look like?

Since I bought it second hand, Infocus said "The warranty is not transferable from the original registered owner.", which means I am free to take it apart. Any suggestions on what I should do?

Also, anyone know where you can buy replacement fans?

Your color wheel fecked =(. It must have all 6 segments (2 big, 4 smaller).
Fans are easily cleaned - but you have to take your unit all apart.
If you want 2nd working pj you need lamp (350) and new color wheel (250).
The only part (of you are parting it out) you going to want probably is a LightTunnel(TM). Maybe lamp power board (heard of them going faulty).

Anyone know where I can find all of the factory default settings listed on the web?

Why would you need them on the web? Why couldn't you just do a factory reset with the remote?

Your color wheel fecked =(. It must have all 6 segments (2 big, 4 smaller).
Fans are easily cleaned - but you have to take your unit all apart.
If you want 2nd working pj you need lamp (350) and new color wheel (250).
The only part (of you are parting it out) you going to want probably is a LightTunnel(TM). Maybe lamp power board (heard of them going faulty).

Believe it or not, I bought a 3rd projector for around $100 (with the lamp) and the guy said the problem with it is that it only shows images in Black and White. (I'm gonna get two working projectors out of this if it kills me). I've taken one apart completely and put it back together so I'm pretty familiar with the guts of it.

Just got the projector as I was typing this message. I heard something loose in it, took the back off and the pieces of the color wheel fell out. :eek: Now....

Where can I buy a color wheel?
and
I can figure out what the lamp power board is but, which part is the Light Tunnel(TM)?

Thanks in advance..

You can PM me for wheel...

Tunnel located directly after color wheel, it's held by shiny retainer on 2 black bolts.
It looks like 2cm long mirror tunnel contraption. It's a tunnel of sort. For light.
After it there's black tube with lens in it.
Oh yeah, and to get to it (and to 2 bolts holding color wheel assy) you will have to remove optical engine cover. It's tin-colored. Under it is mirror, DMD, etc. Be extremally careful when you take this cover off. Put it back as soon as you done. Any dust there will result in picture defects.

I need the ribbon cable that goes between the video output and the LCD display. I also need the 90 degree mirror after the LCD display so I can see if this is worth buying a lamp. InFocus, model LP 225

Ok ,guys I need some help ,

We sold our house, and parents are wanting a Home Theater room in the basement.

can you guys direct me to the link where you can figure how much distance equals what size picture ?


also , We dont really want the projector sitting on the table , however I dont want to use keystone at all , as it lowers the image quality I think. Wouuld it be possible to have some kind of custom celing moung to where you could keep the projector level and twist a nob or somethign to lower the projector while in use , and th en raise back up when not in use ??

I purchased the URC-200 with a hope that I will use one remote to control the entire theater.
To my dismay, it is not able to learn codes from 4805 remote.

Does anyone know what could be the issue?

I had the same experience with my Pioneer remote when I tried to learn the codes from 4805 remote into the receiver's remote.

Any idea? :(

Ok ,guys I need some help ,

We sold our house, and parents are wanting a Home Theater room in the basement.

can you guys direct me to the link where you can figure how much distance equals what size picture ?


also , We dont really want the projector sitting on the table , however I dont want to use keystone at all , as it lowers the image quality I think. Wouuld it be possible to have some kind of custom celing moung to where you could keep the projector level and twist a nob or somethign to lower the projector while in use , and th en raise back up when not in use ??

Kirtis,

Seating distance should be 2 x screen width. Example: For a screen size of 92" diagonal(80" x 45"), you should be sitting at 160 " (2 x 80").

Now what's the height of your ceiling going to be? If you have 8.5" should be good enough. No knob required :D
Anyways can you explain this knob business. A few weeks ago someone posted a picture of motorized mount, which actually disappeares in the ceiling when not in use. You will need to search back :D

[QUOTE=kirtis_mcleskey]can you guys direct me to the link where you can figure how much distance equals what size picture?[QUOTE]

Kirtis,

This is what you're looking for, if I'm understanding your question:

http://www.infocus.com/service/software/projcalc.asp?site_lang=1&site_region=1&

I purchased the URC-200 with a hope that I will use one remote to control the entire theater.
To my dismay, it is not able to learn codes from 4805 remote.

Does anyone know what could be the issue?

I had the same experience with my Pioneer remote when I tried to learn the codes from 4805 remote into the receiver's remote.

Any idea? :(

I'm using the Home Theater Master MX-350 (which is a slightly better version of the urc200). I was able to learn the Infocus remote just fine on it. Though I do remember having to learn the buttons a few times before they worked. I'd suggest to keep trying. I also had problems learning the infocus remote to my pioneer universal remote before upgrading to the 350.

If anyone is interested in what the guts of an SP4805 looks like, I ripped one apart tonight and took some pics. As soon as I make 5 posts and get the restriction removed that this site puts on, I'll let you know where they are.

I'm looking for some advice from the resident experts. About 3 days ago I noticed what looks like a ripple effect while watching dvds or cable tv. The image is covered by this ripple effect (like when you throw a stone in a pond). The ripple cascades from left to right across the screen. Anybody know what this may be and how to get rid of it?

If anyone is interested in what the guts of an SP4805 looks like, I ripped one apart tonight and took some pics. As soon as I make 5 posts and get the restriction removed that this site puts on, I'll let you know where they are.
Worm069, do you mean the inside of Infocus SP4805? Yes or no will suffice :)

I'm looking for some advice from the resident experts. About 3 days ago I noticed what looks like a ripple effect while watching dvds or cable tv. The image is covered by this ripple effect (like when you throw a stone in a pond). The ripple cascades from left to right across the screen. Anybody know what this may be and how to get rid of it?
It may be a ground loop problem. Google search "ground loop". Also, heat waves may be the problem, if the vented heat is blowing in front of the lens.

I recently purchased a 92 inch gray wolf II because my old 62 inch wide home built parkland board was too small for my new apartment.

I have about 200 hours on the bulb and the screen doesn't seem bright enough for me at all. I have the projector on a stand next to my seating area and all the seating is to the left or right of it.

The screen looks pretty nice if you sit as close to the stand as possible but otherwise its doesn't seem bright enough at all. Is the projector supposed to be in front of the seating for this setup and thats whats causing the problem? If I got a Hi-Power would I still have this problem? Does anybody have a recommended screen for this kind of setup (I watch mostly animation and video games so bright colors is nice, but I have all white walls so its kind of a tough situation).

edit: I was just playing around and the screen looks exactly how I would want it to be when the projector is on high power mode, but I don't really want to use that due to nice/life.

Just increase brightness and contrast to 55 or set the PJ to CRT.

I don't think thats the solution because if I put the brightness and contrast white gets crushed very very badly. I tried that last night and watching anything bright (like the Island in HD last night) is completly unbearable.

I'm using the Home Theater Master MX-350 (which is a slightly better version of the urc200). I was able to learn the Infocus remote just fine on it. Though I do remember having to learn the buttons a few times before they worked. I'd suggest to keep trying. I also had problems learning the infocus remote to my pioneer universal remote before upgrading to the 350.

Thanks Ja,

Exact same situation here. I too had no sucess with my Pioneer receiver remote like you.

The learning from 4805 remote seems little tricky. At one occassion, some buttons worked perfectly. No idea what the trick is , but I'll find out.

If you use pr-programmed code, it works fine, but then the buttons are not placed as you want them.

I'll keep trying as you have suggested. :p

I recently purchased a 92 inch gray wolf II because my old 62 inch wide home built parkland board was too small for my new apartment.

I have about 200 hours on the bulb and the screen doesn't seem bright enough for me at all. I have the projector on a stand next to my seating area and all the seating is to the left or right of it.

The screen looks pretty nice if you sit as close to the stand as possible but otherwise its doesn't seem bright enough at all. Is the projector supposed to be in front of the seating for this setup and thats whats causing the problem? If I got a Hi-Power would I still have this problem? Does anybody have a recommended screen for this kind of setup (I watch mostly animation and video games so bright colors is nice, but I have all white walls so its kind of a tough situation).

edit: I was just playing around and the screen looks exactly how I would want it to be when the projector is on high power mode, but I don't really want to use that due to nice/life.

You jumped from 62" to 92" . After going to 92" did you do any calibration. If not then the difference is clear.

Edit : Though it is required calibration is not the thing. But the size of the picture will. Why not try reducing the size to 62" on the new screen and see what you feel.

Rally, too many variables to guess why you're pj doesn't seem bright enough, lamp hours, room treatments, wall colors. Possibly you're so used to the smaller screen, which would seem like plasma brightness at that size, the bigger screen's a let down. Try the Film setting, not CRT, it's brighter and more accurate. I use the DaLite HCCV (slightly grey) and have been quite happy. Perhaps you'd prefer a standard white 1.3 gain screen like the DaLite matte white version of mine? If you need to save on costs, order the screen material from Jason at AVS and mount it yourself. I bet it's between $75 to $150 (just guessing). Good luck.

I recently purchased a 92 inch gray wolf II because my old 62 inch wide home built parkland board was too small for my new apartment.

I have about 200 hours on the bulb and the screen doesn't seem bright enough for me at all. I have the projector on a stand next to my seating area and all the seating is to the left or right of it.

The screen looks pretty nice if you sit as close to the stand as possible but otherwise its doesn't seem bright enough at all. Is the projector supposed to be in front of the seating for this setup and thats whats causing the problem? If I got a Hi-Power would I still have this problem? Does anybody have a recommended screen for this kind of setup (I watch mostly animation and video games so bright colors is nice, but I have all white walls so its kind of a tough situation).

edit: I was just playing around and the screen looks exactly how I would want it to be when the projector is on high power mode, but I don't really want to use that due to nice/life.

This is simple. You're going from a tiny 62" to a 92" and you're also using an entirely different screen material. Take the PJ off high power, put the gamma back to "film" where it should be, do a proper calibration, and get used to the way the image should look, not what it looked like to you before.

The foot-Lamberts you previously had was so ridiculously high that you're probably able to look directly at the surface of the sun without it hurting your eyes. Give it some time. :)

I recently purchased a 92 inch gray wolf II because my old 62 inch wide home built parkland board was too small for my new apartment.

I have about 200 hours on the bulb and the screen doesn't seem bright enough for me at all. I have the projector on a stand next to my seating area and all the seating is to the left or right of it.

The screen looks pretty nice if you sit as close to the stand as possible but otherwise its doesn't seem bright enough at all. Is the projector supposed to be in front of the seating for this setup and thats whats causing the problem? If I got a Hi-Power would I still have this problem? Does anybody have a recommended screen for this kind of setup (I watch mostly animation and video games so bright colors is nice, but I have all white walls so its kind of a tough situation).

edit: I was just playing around and the screen looks exactly how I would want it to be when the projector is on high power mode, but I don't really want to use that due to nice/life.

The problem is with the graywolf screen. The graywolf is a 1.8 gain retroreflective screen. Retroreflective screens reflect light back towards the source, so you will get the most brightness the closer you sit to the projector. The High Power screen is also retroreflective (with 2.8 gain) and you will notice the same issue with it also but with it being a higher gain, it will be brighter.

I used to have my 4805 set up similar to yours with seating to the left/right of the 4805 using my da-lite high contrast matte white (1.1 gain) and I felt the picture looked great at any seating distance. I could stand next to the screen at an extreme angle and I noticed no drop in brightness.

I also have a dark rainbow spot on the lower right hand section of my screen it goes about half way up and a foot out or so Is this the light tube issue and will infocus cover this under warranty My warranty is good till december

I also have a dark rainbow spot on the lower right hand section of my screen it goes about half way up and a foot out or so Is this the light tube issue and will infocus cover this under warranty My warranty is good till decemberDoesn't sound like the light tube, which looks more like a cigarette burn that goes up the side.

But if you have a problem that's undeniably visible (it doesn't come and go, does it?), then it's covered under warranty. Send it in.

No it doesne come out and what is a cigarette burn I dont smoke nor has anyone since I have had the 4805

I see I misread your post forget the last one

I'm going to be buying a new lamp this week, I was going to buy it from Infocus's website, but I thought I'd ask here first. What's the best place to buy the lamp from? I see a few places on the net that run about $30 or $40 cheaper than Infocus, but are they risky?

I just received my Oppo 970 a few days ago. I've been sending 480i thru 25' component cables. The picture looks great, but I noticed that when I switch to 480p, the picture is much brighter. Is this because the 480i is using the faroudja on the 4805 and the 480p isn't? Also, I was thinking about buying a 25' hdmi to M1 cable. Would there be a noticable difference in PQ between the component and the hdmi cables. If I use the hdmi cable, should I be setting the 970 to 480i or 480p? Finally, has anyone used a hdmi to M1 cable from monoprice? I would appreciate any opinions and suggestions. Thanks

Welcome to the forum Lou. This has been an issue since day one. Once calibrated, there's no brightness diiference between "i & p". The 4805's Faroudja is processing at 480i. I have the 971 and therefore MUST use DVI, and yes, digital direct looks a little bit better, but not by a huge amount, since via component cables the Faroudja is excellent.
I'm not certain the 970 will look better via HDMI since even OPPO states (I forget where, but somewhere on their website) that the 971 looks better through DVI than the 970 through HDMI, it's the component outs that the 970 looks better than the 971. Hope that helps a bit.

Is this because the 480i is using the faroudja on the 4805 and the 480p isn't?

yes

Also, I was thinking about buying a 25' hdmi to M1 cable. Would there be a noticable difference in PQ between the component and the hdmi cables. If I use the hdmi cable, should I be setting the 970 to 480i or 480p?

First, are you planning on using the OPPO on the 4805 only? If so, you should have bought a Bravo D1 instead. Consensus here is that there is no better SD DVD player for the 4805 than the Bravo.

I can't speak for the OPPO, but if you get the Bravo, then you should only use the digital connection (not the component or other analog). In that case I would get a 25' HDMI with HDMI->M1 and HDMI->DVI adapters for the two ends. This will help later on when most equipment may be HDMI. You should see no PQ loss using the adapters.


Finally, has anyone used a hdmi to M1 cable from monoprice? I would appreciate any opinions and suggestions. Thanks

Monoprices cables are excellent and a great deal. I have used their DVI->M1 with no problems and I have just purchased a 25' HDMI.

Bottom line is than you won't go wrong ordering from them.

Has anyone ever actually used a SP-LAMP-018 bulb from a X2/X3 unit in a SP4805? On the side of the #18 bulb box, it says it's also for SP4805. If it works, that's great news if the SP-LAMP-021 bulbs run out again. I remember someone talking about this long ago, but I don't think they ever posted the follow-up on what happened.

Hello Gentlemen:
I´m new in this outstanding Forum. First of all let me tell you that I´ve bought last week an Infocus Screen Play 4805 and am amazed with it's image quality and performance overall (something that all of you allready know...)

However, I'm experimenting an issue which I don't know if it's a malfunction or not.
The "problem" is this: When I installed the projector for the first time I began to navigate through the menu options to get used to it. In the IMAGE-ADVANCED menu I adjusted the CHROMA DETAIL, LUMA DETAIL and SHARPNESS. Everything went OK from then on untill the next weekend movie session: When trying to set again the SHARPNESS setting, I noted that this feature DESAPEARED from the advanced menu along with CHROMA DETAIL, LUMA DETAIL, NOISE REDUCTION and CCS. All the other controls that follow those mentioned above in the advanced menu are still there and fully operational, but CHROMA DETAIL, LUMA DETAIL, NOISE REDUCTION, CCS and SHARPNESS just don't show any more in that advanced menu.
I couldn't hit those settings any more.
Am I doing something wrong??

Can you PLEASE help on this one?
I'll appreciate very much any help.

Many thanks,
Claudio
ARGENTINA

Just an update for anyone following my extended staples warranty dealings. The warranty company has agreed to refund me the full purchase price of the projector. Which is what I was hoping for. I guess that $80 warranty was worth it. The new optoma hd70 is looking like my next purchase. No more infocus for me.

Claudio

At some point your DVD player got switched to 480P - you only get those menus with 480i...

Hello Gentlemen:
I´m new in this outstanding Forum. First of all let me tell you that I´ve bought last week an Infocus Screen Play 4805 and am amazed with it's image quality and performance overall (something that all of you allready know...)

However, I'm experimenting an issue which I don't know if it's a malfunction or not.
The "problem" is this: When I installed the projector for the first time I began to navigate through the menu options to get used to it. In the IMAGE-ADVANCED menu I adjusted the CHROMA DETAIL, LUMA DETAIL and SHARPNESS. Everything went OK from then on untill the next weekend movie session: When trying to set again the SHARPNESS setting, I noted that this feature DESAPEARED from the advanced menu along with CHROMA DETAIL, LUMA DETAIL, NOISE REDUCTION and CCS. All the other controls that follow those mentioned above in the advanced menu are still there and fully operational, but CHROMA DETAIL, LUMA DETAIL, NOISE REDUCTION, CCS and SHARPNESS just don't show any more in that advanced menu.
I couldn't hit those settings any more.
Am I doing something wrong??

Can you PLEASE help on this one?
I'll appreciate very much any help.

Many thanks,
Claudio
ARGENTINA

Your DVD (source) is sending 480P (Progressive scan mode) to the projector. If you send 480i (non-progressive), you will get everything back.

Many Thanks folks!!
That was the only option left for re-check, although I´ve never thougt about it.

THANK YOU SO MUCH! :)

Claudio
ARGENTINA

Claudio,
You don't want to be messing with those settings anyway. Leave them right where they are.

Just an update for anyone following my extended staples warranty dealings. The warranty company has agreed to refund me the full purchase price of the projector. Which is what I was hoping for. I guess that $80 warranty was worth it. The new optoma hd70 is looking like my next purchase. No more infocus for me.


Allright Bob!!! That is a very acceptable solution in my book. I am glad you got them to rule in your favor.

Well, hope next time you get a PJ with at least a 2 yr warranty if not more, I know I definitely will.

What's that saying again......Fool me once.............

I want to thank you guys for your replies. I guess, for now, I'll stick with the component conections. But if I decide to go with the hdmi, later on, the PQ would be the same for either 480i or 480p?
I chose the 970 for a few reasons. One, is that my 12 year old Sony XBR CRT is having problems and I'd like to replace it with a 37" or 42" LCD. So I won't only be using the 970 for my 4805. I also needed a player capable of playing PALs ( I have about a dozen PAL DVDs). Once again, thanks for your help.

Claudio,
You don't want to be messing with those settings anyway. Leave them right where they are.

OK spyder, thank you. But, why is that?

Claudio
ARGENTINA

Worm069, do you mean the inside of Infocus SP4805? Yes or no will suffice :)
Yes.. I took one completely apart.

Here's the link: http://www.willswebdesign.com/sp4805/sp4805.htm
Yes!! It worked..

Here's the link: http://www.willswebdesign.com/sp4805/sp4805.htm
Yes!! It worked..Cool!

Is there room to realign the position of the light tunnel after loosening the screws on that clamp? Because InFocus did NOT replace my light tunnel. They "adjusted" it.

Maybe some of the out-of-warranty people with the light tunnel problem can fix it by re-aligning it.

Cool!

Is there room to realign the position of the light tunnel after loosening the screws on that clamp? Because InFocus did NOT replace my light tunnel. They "adjusted" it.

I guess it's possible after you lossen the screws. It can be slid back and forth, but I can't imagine them twisting it any way. As you can see by the pieces, as soon as I took off that clamp, it just fell apart. :eek: One edge had a yellow burn and a crack and that what I think causes everybody's discoloration on the screen.

OK spyder, thank you. But, why is that?

Claudio
ARGENTINA

Anything other than factory settings on those will just make your image look terrible.

I want to thank you guys for your replies. I guess, for now, I'll stick with the component conections. But if I decide to go with the hdmi, later on, the PQ would be the same for either 480i or 480p?
I chose the 970 for a few reasons. One, is that my 12 year old Sony XBR CRT is having problems and I'd like to replace it with a 37" or 42" LCD. So I won't only be using the 970 for my 4805. I also needed a player capable of playing PALs ( I have about a dozen PAL DVDs). Once again, thanks for your help.

You should of got the 971 instead. The 970 is popular for those wanting to send an digital 480i signal via hdmi to a higher end video processor.

In any case, the 4805 will not process 480i via hdmi correctly, so you are left with 480p, 720p, and 1080i from the 970 if you use HDMI. At 480p, 720p, and 1080i, the 970 will use its mediatek chip to deinterlace and scale dvd to those resolutions. At 720p, and 1080i, the 4805 will then scale that back down to its native resolution of 854x480. With component 480i from the 970, the 4805 will use it's Faroudja processor to deinterlace and scale the 480i source to it's native resolution of 854x480. If I had to choose, I'd choose 480i via component from the dvd player to the projector.

One edge had a yellow burn and a crack and that what I think causes everybody's discoloration on the screen.That's consistent with what was said by those who have attempted to fix it. Too bad. InFocus definitely has some 'splainin' to do. :mad:
How about it Bob Williams?

What was discolored? The glue that holds it together?

I bought mine from Shop at Home in Dec. 2004 and is says on the packing slip that it has a 3 year warranty is this true or a typo I may call infocus to see if this is true as I am getting ready to send it in for the Light tube or at least I think thats what it is Should I also ask him to clean the color wheel while it is there

That's consistent with what was said by those who have attempted to fix it. Too bad. InFocus definitely has some 'splainin' to do. :mad:
How about it Bob Williams?

What was discolored? The glue that holds it together?

Nope it was the actual mirror piece. It looked like it had gotten exposed to some serious heat and burned. If you look at the 5th picture you can actually see the yellow on the left and the very tip is black.

Edit: I think I still have the pieces. If I do I'll try to get a good pic of it and add it to the page.

Allright Bob!!! That is a very acceptable solution in my book. I am glad you got them to rule in your favor.

Well, hope next time you get a PJ with at least a 2 yr warranty if not more, I know I definitely will.

What's that saying again......Fool me once.............
How do you figure you were fooled? If you bought a brand new 4805, it came with a 2 year warranty. Buying a refurbished 4805 that came with a 90 day warranty was a risk that some were willing to take to save some cash. Plenty of people bought refurbs and have had no problems. No need to come here and bad mouth Infocus because someones gamble didn't pay off. They got what they paid for.

Watch out for that loud buzzing, whining noise from the colorwheel. It gets more annoying the more use it gets.

Just curious, does anyone know if the SP4805 has been officially discontinued? Check out the new low price for the IN72 on the Infocus website, but there are no other projectors listed under the "Home Entertainment" category, where the SP4805 used to be. It does appear that there is a missing image, and I thought there was a couple other PJ's that used to be under that category as well. The web site's probably under maintenance, but nice to the IN72 at the new price, perhaps the 4805 will drop even further...

You should of got the 971 instead.

In any case, the 4805 will not process 480i via hdmi correctly, so you are left with 480p, 720p, and 1080i from the 970 if you use HDMI.

Ja Phule,

So are you saying that the 4805 will process 480i via DVI (from the 971) correctly, but not via HDMI (from the 970)? I thought digital was digital. If so, can I assume that Infocus will not be doing a firmware upgrade to process 480i via HDMI? Thanks.

How do you figure you were fooled? If you bought a brand new 4805, it came with a 2 year warranty. Buying a refurbished 4805 that came with a 90 day warranty was a risk that some were willing to take to save some cash. Plenty of people bought refurbs and have had no problems. No need to come here and bad mouth Infocus because someones gamble didn't pay off. They got what they paid for.

First of all, you need to calm down, and there is no need to misinterpret my statement to suit your rant.

I have a 4805 and so far I am very happy with it, so I don't need your speech on badmouthing Infocus and all that. I love their PJ's and will probably buy them in the future, but will make sure I have enough money to also buy an additional 2 year warranty.

What I was trying to say (you would realize it if you bothered to read my earlier posts) is that people are willing to take a risk on a refurb unit and thats their prerogative, but that does not discount the fact that this is a unit that has a design defect (which many people did not know) and so there is a high probability that they will have an issue later when they are out of warranty and will have no recourse to get their beloved PJ fixed.

This is even if they have spent money on a third party warranty as Infocus declined even to acknowledge the Light-Tube problem when one of the vendor tried to contact them (see Bobbart's posts).

So yes, I have learned my lesson, not to buy a refurb product with a spotty record. May be you need to do a search on this thread with the key words "Light-Tube" to realize how many owners there are who have gone through this and many who are wondering when it will happen to their machine.

I had the light tube problem and fortunately it was still under warranty.

Ja Phule,

So are you saying that the 4805 will process 480i via DVI (from the 971) correctly, but not via HDMI (from the 970)? I thought digital was digital. If so, can I assume that Infocus will not be doing a firmware upgrade to process 480i via HDMI? Thanks.

The Oppo 971 will only output 480p, 720p, and 1080i via DVI. It doesn't seem like Infocus will do a firmware to support 480i via hdmi/dvi.

First of all, you need to calm down, and there is no need to misinterpret my statement to suit your rant.

Jumping to conclusions again?


What I was trying to say (you would realize it if you bothered to read my earlier posts) is that people are willing to take a risk on a refurb unit and thats their prerogative, but that does not discount the fact that this is a unit that has a design defect (which many people did not know) and so there is a high probability that they will have an issue later when they are out of warranty and will have no recourse to get their beloved PJ fixed.

When I read statements such as "fool me once..." and "I agree. Its no longer IF it will happen, but only When will it happen. :(" , I feel the need to interject as you are bad mouthing Infocus because a very tiny number of people had light tube failures.

You are clearly wrong here by claiming a "design defect" in the 4805. This was one of the most popular pj's ever made by Infocus and has sold extremely well. There is no avalanche of posters whose light tubes have failed and you claiming "it's not if, but when" is ridiculous and nothing more than pure speculation on your part. There is a much greater chance of the color wheel failing than there is of the light tube going bad and even the chance of that happening is highly unlikely as well.

Yes, a few people have had problems with their pj's and that is unfortunate but it's not even remotely close to the extent you've made it out to be. I've read every post on this thread and the much larger 1st Official 4805 thread and the percentage of posters that have reported color wheel or light tube failures is miniscule.

The sky is not falling.

I love my 4805...buuuuut...I have this dread that I'm going to have an issue come up. Is the thing well-built in regard to longevity? I can't say...yet. With only 3000 hours on mine in 11 months, give me another year and another 3000 hours and I'll let you know.

My biggest issue with IF is the absurd cost of what does fail more than anything else and the assinine offers that they give to people that want to trade their beloved 4805 in on another unit. (When we last discussed this, it was somewhere between -$20 and $30 after shipping)

Overall, I'm happy so far, but if I find a replacement or upgrade soon (BF), I'm going to pounce on it.

I love my 4805...buuuuut...I have this dread that I'm going to have an issue come up. Is the thing well-built in regard to longevity? I can't say...yet. With only 3000 hours on mine in 11 months, give me another year and another 3000 hours and I'll let you know.

My biggest issue with IF is the absurd cost of what does fail more than anything else and the assinine offers that they give to people that want to trade their beloved 4805 in on another unit. (When we last discussed this, it was somewhere between -$20 and $30 after shipping)

Overall, I'm happy so far, but if I find a replacement or upgrade soon (BF), I'm going to pounce on it.


That's when you hop over to eBay and sell it there. People will pay for a projector if the parts like the color wheel are still good.

Worm069,

I have the SP 4805 pj, and have been reading this forum on and off for awhile. I started to get the common problem with the light tube. The pictures of your pj, light tube and how it was placed in the pj, made me attempt to repair my light tube. It was not hard to see why they are failing. The glue that is on the edges was coming off the one side of the tube and was causing the mirror to be out of place. I carefully repaired it with thick ca, and now my picture is back to new! I just dont know how much heat the ca I used will last. The next time I will use JB weld on the edges to repair. Thanks again for the pictures, it saved me alot of time and guess work.

Worm069,

I have the SP 4805 pj, and have been reading this forum on and off for awhile. I started to get the common problem with the light tube. The pictures of your pj, light tube and how it was placed in the pj, made me attempt to repair my light tube. It was not hard to see why they are failing. The glue that is on the edges was coming off the one side of the tube and was causing the mirror to be out of place. I carefully repaired it with thick ca, and now my picture is back to new! I just dont know how much heat the ca I used will last. The next time I will use JB weld on the edges to repair. Thanks again for the pictures, it saved me alot of time and guess work.
Do you have the link for those pictures please.

Worm069,

I have the SP 4805 pj, and have been reading this forum on and off for awhile. I started to get the common problem with the light tube. The pictures of your pj, light tube and how it was placed in the pj, made me attempt to repair my light tube. It was not hard to see why they are failing. The glue that is on the edges was coming off the one side of the tube and was causing the mirror to be out of place. I carefully repaired it with thick ca, and now my picture is back to new! I just dont know how much heat the ca I used will last. The next time I will use JB weld on the edges to repair. Thanks again for the pictures, it saved me alot of time and guess work.

Is that seriously all this amazingly huge "design flaw" is? Glue coming loose?

Do you have the link for those pictures please.


Look back in this thread to see the link that Worm069 posted. He has the link for the pics.

Is that seriously all this amazingly huge "design flaw" is? Glue coming loose?


Yes, it seems they didnt consider the temps that would be created by the pj light.

Remember, i was first to accomplish that =))
And don't bug Infocus - this part is produced and licensed by Unaxis Optics Co. (as the color wheel).

Yes, it seems they didnt consider the temps that would be created by the pj light.

I think this may also be due to each individuals own environment. We keep our house and HT room relatively cool (75 F), I know some people keep it at 78 F to 83 F. Maybe these failures are more pronounced if the room temp is a few degrees more.

I keep my PJ running for 5-6 hours almost everynight, maybe all day (12-14 hrs) sat and sun. So maybe the time per day it is running couple with the room temp and ventilation (mine is suspended in the middle of room almost, I know some people have it in enclosures, up against the back wall on shelves etc.) could be the issue.

Maybe if everyone (even those that have had problems) can post their setup as to room temp, mount, usages we could find a pattern or something. I understand that most may have referbs and really cannot determine the previous owner(s) usuages and installation.

I think this may also be due to each individuals own environment. We keep our house and HT room relatively cool (75 F), I know some people keep it at 78 F to 83 F. Maybe these failures are more pronounced if the room temp is a few degrees more.

I keep my PJ running for 5-6 hours almost everynight, maybe all day (12-14 hrs) sat and sun. So maybe the time per day it is running couple with the room temp and ventilation (mine is suspended in the middle of room almost, I know some people have it in enclosures, up against the back wall on shelves etc.) could be the issue.

Maybe if everyone (even those that have had problems) can post their setup as to room temp, mount, usages we could find a pattern or something. I understand that most may have referbs and really cannot determine the previous owner(s) usuages and installation.


Very good points, my pj is mounted on the ceiling, very close because of 7' ceilings. (home made mount) Im not sure about the room temp, but I do know that even in the early evenings the room was at least 80F during the summer, and pj was run for 5-6 hrs. during the week, longer on weekends. I also know that my pj doesnt have the latest flash in regards to the fans operating at a noisy or more effective level. I dont hear them while watching a movie or sat tv. My pj was an ebay purchase given to me with a new bulb, (I have a very generous friend) I dont think it would be considered a refurb because of the firmware level.

Congratulations on your light tube repairs, lynzoid and hdrider. Lynzoid's idea of making a repair jig with 90 degree pieces of glass is a good one. I read in the forums that billgatesceo repaired his light tube in his X1 by banding the mirror pieces with foil duct tape. That makes three successful repairs. At least there is hope for those out of warranty light tube failures.

Yes, it seems they didnt consider the temps that would be created by the pj light.

Yeah, but unfortunately most of us run in low-power mode, so they reeaaally didn't consider it if this were the case. Not saying that this isn't the case, but I still wonder if it has something to do with the combination of heat and having the PJ ceiling mounted. I don't know what position the light tube is mounted, but assuming that it would be "laying" on a surface if table/shelf mounted, but "suspended" when the PJ is upside-down, this may be the case...

Yeah, but unfortunately most of us run in low-power mode, so they reeaaally didn't consider it if this were the case. Not saying that this isn't the case, but I still wonder if it has something to do with the combination of heat and having the PJ ceiling mounted. I don't know what position the light tube is mounted, but assuming that it would be "laying" on a surface if table/shelf mounted, but "suspended" when the PJ is upside-down, this may be the case...


Yes, I feel that "if" the pj is inverted, the room temp, and built up heat affects the light tube that is "suspended" from the aluminum base. (Look at the pictures on the link that Worm069 posted.) The light tube sits in a notch or v shape, when inverted the tube is hanging in that notch. The clip that holds the tube is putting pressure on 1 side of the tube making it more prone to having 1 side move or come loose all together when the glue gets to hot. Upside down and close to the ceiling, my light tube didnt stand a chance...LOL

I think the internal heat generated by the lamp and moving parts is much more of a factor than a few degrees of room temperature. I mean, how hot must that lamp be? Not to say it isn't possible the room temp significantly affects the pj, just unlikely, I think.

Martin,
well that is the question. I mean we all are producing the same heat from our PJ lamps (not sure the older the lamp, what the temp/heat drop of is), so that is a relative constant but some are failing and others are not, aparently with the same useage, therefore the surrounding temp as well as the other noted factors could be the cause.

I have mine 4 inches from ceiling but directly behind it is one Air conditioning vent (Pointed directly at PJ) and in front of it I have a 52" ceiling fan. I keep the house at around 76-77 degrees and I always run the ceiling fan when PJ is in use.

13 months with 900+ hours of use and no problems.

http://gallery.avsforum.com/data/501/HT_Room_004M.jpg

Yes, I feel that "if" the pj is inverted, the room temp, and built up heat affects the light tube that is "suspended" from the aluminum base. (Look at the pictures on the link that Worm069 posted.) The light tube sits in a notch or v shape, when inverted the tube is hanging in that notch. The clip that holds the tube is putting pressure on 1 side of the tube making it more prone to having 1 side move or come loose all together when the glue gets to hot. Upside down and close to the ceiling, my light tube didnt stand a chance...LOL

Not sure if anyone in the past has actually put 2 and 2 together yet, but it most definitely sounds like it is a poorly designed light tube mounting system for the when the 4805 is ceiling mounted. Like Martin said, I highly doubt that the internal room temperature has much affect when compared to the heat generated by the lamp. The sad thing is that when mounted to the ceiling, you actually have better air-flow/ventilation than if you were to sit it on a shelf.

The next question is if Infocus has addressed the issue with a "permanent" fix for those who send their PJ's in for repair. I'm hoping that either they redesigned the mount, or use better clamps/glue. Mine was received last Friday and still has a status of "received and in repair". :confused:

I have mine 4 inches from ceiling but directly behind it is one Air conditioning vent (Pointed directly at PJ) and in front of it I have a 52" ceiling fan. I keep the house at around 76-77 degrees and I always run the ceiling fan when PJ is in use.

13 months with 900+ hours of use and no problems.

http://gallery.avsforum.com/data/501/HT_Room_004M.jpg

Mine didn't fail until 16 months and about 3000 hours. (1300 on original "bad" bulb, and about 1700 on the replacement) I'm going to have to side with Martin in that I don't think room temperature has much affect when compared the heat generated by the PJ itself. This is simply a poorly designed light tube mount.

well, that may be the case and we are all doom if we keep the unit (just like the Bravo D1, the cap will fail, it is just a matter of time). Lucklily I am selling my house with mine. Hopefully the IN76 does not have this issue.

well, that may be the case and we are all doom if we keep the unit (just like the Bravo D1, the cap will fail, it is just a matter of time). Lucklily I am selling my house with mine. Hopefully the IN76 does not have this issue.

I think that either once my bulb dies, or it breaks down again after the 2-year warranty expires, then I'll probably just opt for an IN72 and hope that it was designed a bit better from a longevity/reliability standpoint.

I think the failure depends on luck, my light tube had the glue curling up away from the seams, 2 of them that were supposed to be attaching the top, bottom and side together, whether or not heat made the glue "unglue" is not proven, imo heat had a factor in making it fail. It could be that the age of the glue, or how clean the mirror was when glued, or if the person inspecting the tube during production had missed a defect. I could go on speculating a thousand more things that could explain why. My question is why did they design a tube out of 4 pieces mirror and not make it a solid tube, like a square straw? That would take the glue out of the pj all together.

Yes, why didn't they? cost I feel. I don't think a straw mirror tube is readily available that they can OEM, whereas regular flat mirror is abundantly available everywhere. Maybe Bob Williams can jump in and put that question to rest since it is peeking all our curiousity.

I hate to say this, but even though the 4805 puts out one of the best images around and does not require calibration out of the box, the old saying of you get what you pay for still holds. For IF to price this PJ for what they did, they did have to make many architecture decisions with regard to cost factor as one of the primary considerations. Now I am wondering what can easily fail with their newer models and if it is worth the risk. PQ is there, but maybe not much else.

I think Bob has stopped visting this thread a while ago.

Honestly, I think room temp might play a bigger role than people imagine. My reason for saying is this: we have a window AC unit in the bedroom where the 4805 is located, and one day I was cleaning the filter for about 20 minutes. The PJ fan went from just above a whisper to what sounded like a jet engine. Personally, I could feel the room temp increase what felt like 5-10 degrees during the 20 minutes the AC was off, but evidently, the PJ could really feel it.

Yes, I think they were aware of the potential failure points. I guess it is not much use for him to visit a forum of a product out of production since there is not much here he doesn't already knew could potentially happen. I think they did one heck of a job all things considered, however the bargain and value some thought they may have remains to be seen giving potential expenses on repairs down the road.

I wish things were like the old CRT tvs. Doesn't matter much what ya did to the thing, it would give you 10-20 or more years of trouble free service. Not sure when FP (and other bulb based displays - this seems to be the very issue) will get to that point if the bulb technology does not rapidly advance. Something bright with no or less heat like a new generation LED. One can only hope.

Honestly, I think room temp might play a bigger role than people imagine. My reason for saying is this: we have a window AC unit in the bedroom where the 4805 is located, and one day I was cleaning the filter for about 20 minutes. The PJ fan went from just above a whisper to what sounded like a jet engine. Personally, I could feel the room temp increase what felt like 5-10 degrees during the 20 minutes the AC was off, but evidently, the PJ could really feel it.

While that could be true, I still think the bigger contributor to the light tube failure is the fact that gravity is naturally pulling it away from this V-shaped mount when the PJ is inverted, as opposed to resting on it when sitting on a shelf. This is still an assumption based on the info provided by folks on these forums, and I have to admit that I still haven't looked at the pictures that Worm provided.

Maybe coating the inside of rectangle tubing is the problem, sure doesnt seem to expensive, this price is per foot. http://technicalglass.thomasnet.com/item/rectangular-and-square-tubing/rectangular-tubing-clear-fused-quartz/rt4x8?&plpver=1001&origin=viewitems&by=prod&assetid=spec&filter=0

I have mine 4 inches from ceiling but directly behind it is one Air conditioning vent (Pointed directly at PJ) and in front of it I have a 52" ceiling fan. I keep the house at around 76-77 degrees and I always run the ceiling fan when PJ is in use.

13 months with 900+ hours of use and no problems.

http://gallery.avsforum.com/data/501/HT_Room_004M.jpg

Doesn't the 4805 pull from the front and exhaust the back? If so and you have air of any kind blowing at it from the back you might be making it worse... essentially trapping hot air inside the PJ unable to exit due to air force in the back and creating a high pressure bubble which more or less pushes the cold air around the pj never getting inside it...

Think of it like a garden hose with water comming out and shooting high pressure compressed air towards it... the air will never get into the hose but it might hold back or stop the water from comming out freely... it will however be difused by the pressure of water comming out of the hose and go everywhere but in the hose...

Subsitited projector/hot air for hose/water and ac for high pressure air...

While that could be true, I still think the bigger contributor to the light tube failure is the fact that gravity is naturally pulling it away from this V-shaped mount when the PJ is inverted, as opposed to resting on it when sitting on a shelf. This is still an assumption based on the info provided by folks on these forums, and I have to admit that I still haven't looked at the pictures that Worm provided.

Has anyone looked into a way to secure the tube? Maybe some thin wire or something attached as a sort of tie down to support the tube while it's upside
down?

As for the room temp issue I think it may have something to do with room temp in terms of cooling ability... cooling is proportional to the temperature difference of the surrounding air and the item being cooled, air is not a particularly good conductor so a difference of a few degrees can really effect it's cooling ability.

I watched my PJ during some hot days in the summer when up near my ceiling it was probably 90+ degrees, I am guessing the internal temp of the pj was significantly higher than normal...

[QUOTE]You are clearly wrong here by claiming a "design defect" in the 4805. This was one of the most popular pj's ever made by Infocus and has sold extremely well.

Yes. I know it is one of the most popular PJ's but that does not make it one of the most reliable one or for that matter one that is made with the highest quality parts.
Yes, a few people have had problems with their pj's and that is unfortunate but it's not even remotely close to the extent you've made it out to be. I've read every post on this thread and the much larger 1st Official 4805 thread and the percentage of posters that have reported color wheel or light tube failures is miniscule.

There is no end to this discussion, all I can say is I have to disagree with you. There are plenty more than a "few" people with problems than you would like to admit.

There are clearly some lucky people who have not had any issues and great for them, but the number of people reporting similar issues has steadily increased.

The evidence is all over this thread, just look at the recent discussion and the 20 odd posts on this matter just after your post that discuss the quality and design of the light-tube and possible causes for failure.

Has anyone looked into a way to secure the tube? Maybe some thin wire or something attached as a sort of tie down to support the tube while it's upside
down?

As for the room temp issue I think it may have something to do with room temp in terms of cooling ability... cooling is proportional to the temperature difference of the surrounding air and the item being cooled, air is not a particularly good conductor so a difference of a few degrees can really effect it's cooling ability.

I watched my PJ during some hot days in the summer when up near my ceiling it was probably 90+ degrees, I am guessing the internal temp of the pj was significantly higher than normal...

Duh, clearly an obvious point that my pea-brain decided to skip during my previous comments! :rolleyes:

Has anyone looked into a way to secure the tube? Maybe some thin wire or something attached as a sort of tie down to support the tube while it's upside
down?

As for the room temp issue I think it may have something to do with room temp in terms of cooling ability... cooling is proportional to the temperature difference of the surrounding air and the item being cooled, air is not a particularly good conductor so a difference of a few degrees can really effect it's cooling ability.

I watched my PJ during some hot days in the summer when up near my ceiling it was probably 90+ degrees, I am guessing the internal temp of the pj was significantly higher than normal...

The tube itself is held in place by a clip with 2 tabs that hold it firmly to the base of the pj. The problem is the clip that holds it pushes the 1 side of the tube, the glue fails allowing the side mirror move into the tube thus showing up onto the screen. The only way to secure the side from moving is probably an epoxy like jb weld or high temp silicone. I used 4 drops of ca (super glue) and the picture is just as it was before this problem. If the ca fails I will try other adhesives to correct it.

How much pressure is the clip applying? I mean it looks from the pictures like it's more a support than a presure clip really... maybe it could be flexed away from the mirror a bit so it doesn't apply so much pressure but still holds it in place?

It holds it from moving back and forth, I had to gently move mine towards the color wheel after repair because the top of my picture had the silmilar brown edge on it, since the only movement was toward the color wheel that is what I did. Its firm but not crushing firm, more spring like. You could get a little of the spring pressure off of it by bending it, but I didnt want to chance it moving to easily.

Mine didn't fail until 16 months and about 3000 hours. (1300 on original "bad" bulb, and about 1700 on the replacement) I'm going to have to side with Martin in that I don't think room temperature has much affect when compared the heat generated by the PJ itself. This is simply a poorly designed light tube mount.

If you had read and understood my post, you would have seen that it was not meant to dispute the heat issue, but to rather show what I have done knowing that all PJ's put out a lot of heat and I am trying to keep the airflow and temp around the PJ circulating and cooler. I had hoped to increase the life of the bulb with this setup, but it seems it might also extend the life of the light tube also.

Doesn't the 4805 pull from the front and exhaust the back? If so and you have air of any kind blowing at it from the back you might be making it worse... essentially trapping hot air inside the PJ unable to exit due to air force in the back and creating a high pressure bubble which more or less pushes the cold air around the pj never getting inside it...

Think of it like a garden hose with water comming out and shooting high pressure compressed air towards it... the air will never get into the hose but it might hold back or stop the water from comming out freely... it will however be difused by the pressure of water comming out of the hose and go everywhere but in the hose...

Subsitited projector/hot air for hose/water and ac for high pressure air...

The 4805 exhausts its heat out through the front and pulls air in from the side I believe. With the air conditioner running the air flow is across the back toward the front and the fan, the 52" fan pulls the air away from the PJ. If I don't turn the fan on the seating which is behind the PJ starts to get a little warm until the air conditioning kicks in.

Guys ! To all tube-repairers !

There is a black adjuster screw, if you look into lens directly, it'll be on 5 o'clock.
This screw adjusts position of main lightflow mirror inside optical assembly. You can take optical assy cover off (CAREFUL ! NO DUST ALLOWED THERE !) and see that mirror. It directs light right after lighttube onto DMD assy. Bu rotating screw you can adjust uniformity of brightness !!!
So little brown edge can be fixed using this screw.

Guys ! To all tube-repairers !

There is a black adjuster screw, if you look into lens directly, it'll be on 5 o'clock.
This screw adjusts position of main lightflow mirror inside optical assembly. You can take optical assy cover off (CAREFUL ! NO DUST ALLOWED THERE !) and see that mirror. It directs light right after lighttube onto DMD assy. Bu rotating screw you can adjust uniformity of brightness !!!
So little brown edge can be fixed using this screw.

That was my first attempt to get rid off the brown edge on my pj.
I tried to adjust that mirror, there are 2 screws (allen's) that adjust it. My attempt to adjust the brown edge out resulted in a brown edge on the opposite upper corner of the picture. I couldnt get rid of the edges from either side but did reduce the size from approx. 10" to about 2". This could be the fix for some pj's though.

If you had read and understood my post, you would have seen that it was not meant to dispute the heat issue, but to rather show what I have done knowing that all PJ's put out a lot of heat and I am trying to keep the airflow and temp around the PJ circulating and cooler. I had hoped to increase the life of the bulb with this setup, but it seems it might also extend the life of the light tube also.

If you had read my reply to Daveander about 5 replies up, you'll see that I realized I overlooked this minor detail... :)

I tried to adjust that mirror, there are 2 screws (allen's) that adjust it. My attempt to adjust the brown edge out resulted in a brown edge on the opposite upper corner of the picture. I couldnt get rid of the edges from either side but did reduce the size from approx. 10" to about 2". This could be the fix for some pj's though.I think that there are two separate light tube issues. There's this alignment issue, which is what I think InFocus repaired for me under warranty, and the heat-induced failure of the glue with the partial collapse of the tube, which is probably the more prevalent problem.

The 4805 exhausts its heat out through the front and pulls air in from the side I believe. With the air conditioner running the air flow is across the back toward the front and the fan, the 52" fan pulls the air away from the PJ. If I don't turn the fan on the seating which is behind the PJ starts to get a little warm until the air conditioning kicks in.

Huh... I could have sworn it was out the back so as not to introduce lots of hot air in front of the lense which could screw the picture up... I don't get near mine while it's on very often :)

My shutdown sequence is to use the remote. This way the fan runs for about 1 minute at normal speed before shutting down (Help to properly cool the bulb). I then let the stdby power supply fan run for 30 minutes prior to Turing off the PJ with the side AC switch. This is when I put my hand up in front of the PJ to check how warm the air is coming out of the front right side (And the air flow is hot right after using the remote to power off). If it's late (2-4 AM) I just let it run until morning and then turn it off.

I am really trying to extend the life of the bulb (I already have a spare that I bought from a member here, just want to get the 3000+ hours that CAVU got on his bulb). Plus it looks like I will be keeping this gem of a PJ for viewing all sd DVD's utilizing the D1 for quite some time (hell I still have vinyl albums and a record player), no new 720P PJ can display them nearly as good. (Another story)

I would never just power off the AC to the PJ to shut it down, I would always use a power down cooling sequence. It may stop crazing, bulb problems and possibly light tube problems. You just never know how some ppl shut down their equipment.

I use a seperate remote-controlled On/OFF switch that is direct to the plug (not the PJ remote) and just turn the thing right off, no cooling down by fan at all. I'm at 2700 hours on my first bulb and no issues yet.

I'm not saying this is the preferred method, but it's what I do.

I use a seperate remote-controlled On/OFF switch that is direct to the plug (not the PJ remote) and just turn the thing right off, no cooling down by fan at all. I'm at 2700 hours on my first bulb and no issues yet.

I'm not saying this is the preferred method, but it's what I do.
Good to hear that it works for you. 2700 hrs, it will take me roughly another 2 years to get there and I hopefully will still have my spare lamp. :)

Now when those 720p PJ's fall around 1K soon, my beloved 4805 may be able to take a break from HDTV content and share space with a stable mate. :D

2 more years...I wish! we've piled up the 2700 hours on ours in just over 9.5 months!

My shutdown sequence is to use the remote. This way the fan runs for about 1 minute at normal speed before shutting down (Help to properly cool the bulb). I then let the stdby power supply fan run for 30 minutes prior to Turing off the PJ with the side AC switch. This is when I put my hand up in front of the PJ to check how warm the air is coming out of the front right side (And the air flow is hot right after using the remote to power off). If it's late (2-4 AM) I just let it run until morning and then turn it off.

I am really trying to extend the life of the bulb (I already have a spare that I bought from a member here, just want to get the 3000+ hours that CAVU got on his bulb). Plus it looks like I will be keeping this gem of a PJ for viewing all sd DVD's utilizing the D1 for quite some time (hell I still have vinyl albums and a record player), no new 720P PJ can display them nearly as good. (Another story)

I would never just power off the AC to the PJ to shut it down, I would always use a power down cooling sequence. It may stop crazing, bulb problems and possibly light tube problems. You just never know how some ppl shut down their equipment.
I think Bob Williams has said hard shut down prolong bulb life because natural cool down is better than forced cool down using the fan. It been said in numerous times that if you are done for the night it is better to do a hard shut down. I am sure the veterans will chime in here later to correct me if I am wrong.

I remember Bob Williams saying that too.

My take on the matter of bulb cooling was just a matter of what seemed to be common sense. The contacts (there's probably a technical name) for the bulb are a metal, you would want them to cool down as slowly as possible, creating less stress as the metal contracts in the cooling process. It's not a huge distance that it's contracting/expanding, but it is, nonetheless. Even when I worked in a steel mill, we wanted slower cooling times, not just so we could slag off the impurities, but to maintain the integrity and structure of the molten and formed steel.

I only use my projector when I'm absolutely sure I'll be able to use it for at least two hours in one sitting because I remember reading that each time you strike the bulb, two hours of its life are pretty much taken off as a result. On my day off, I'll sometimes keep the projector running for 10-12 hours straight, and if I need to run somewhere and will be returning within an hour, I'll put it in "sleep" mode, or whatever it's called. Otherwise, when I'm done using the projector I always do a "hard" power down by just flipping the power switch on the side.

The bulb that came with the projector blew after only 1700 hours, and I'm now waiting on my replacement to arrive in the mail. I ordered the thing on the 6th and paid extra for "2nd day air" from UPS, but I checked the tracking yesterday and found out the scheduled arrival date is the 11th.

Double-you Tee Eff?

Double-you Tee Eff?

That's hilarious. I can't believe I haven't see it before now. :D

Yes. I know it is one of the most popular PJ's but that does not make it one of the most reliable one or for that matter one that is made with the highest quality parts.

The 4805 is a budget class pj and by definition will not be using the highest quality parts. With that being said, you shouldn't infer that it's components are of an inferior quality to perform the tasks they were designed for. I see nothing here that supports your line of reasoning that the 4805 is made with components that are prone to premature failure.



There are plenty more than a "few" people with problems than you would like to admit. There are clearly some lucky people who have not had any issues and great for them, but the number of people reporting similar issues has steadily increased.

The evidence is all over this thread, just look at the recent discussion and the 20 odd posts on this matter just after your post that discuss the quality and design of the light-tube and possible causes for failure.

So only some "lucky people" will have no problems? Are there no bounds to your doom and gloom prognosticating?

Will more owners have their light tubes fail? Certainly. Other owners will have their colorwheel, fan, power supply or some other component fail as well. It's a given that your pj will eventually fail over time for one reason or another.

There is no evidence to support your conclusions that there is a design defect and that the overwhelming majority of 4805 light tubes are going to fail. As a matter of fact, I'd say less than 20 people have stated that their light tube has actually failed. Enough with the Chicken Little routine. Give it a rest already.


There is no end to this discussion, all I can say is I have to disagree with you. That's quite alright. I have absolutely no problem with discussing ways to fix your light tube should it go bad as this forum is all about helping each other. It's not for spreading Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. The 4805 is a fine little pj and has a failure rate that is on par with other budget pj's in it's class.

My take on the matter of bulb cooling was just a matter of what seemed to be common sense. The contacts (there's probably a technical name) for the bulb are a metal, you would want them to cool down as slowly as possible, creating less stress as the metal contracts in the cooling process. It's not a huge distance that it's contracting/expanding, but it is, nonetheless. Even when I worked in a steel mill, we wanted slower cooling times, not just so we could slag off the impurities, but to maintain the integrity and structure of the molten and formed steel.

Not to mention the fact that when you cool down glass quickly, as in what the contacts are sealed in, you take the risk of cracking it. Kind of like a hot glass fresh out of a dishwasher being filled with cold liquid. It may be possible that with the quick(er) cool down from the fan it might be compromising the integrity of the glass.

The glass may play a part in the fact that if the glass is cooling down slower, it is retaining some of the heat around the contacts, making for a slower cool-down period. I don't see the glass deteriorating much though, it seems pretty sturdy...at least in comparison to the tiny little contacts.

Yes indeed, :eek: ------> :p

I have, in the last few days connected my P.C. to the SP4805 via DVI and pixel mapped the display, for the first time! YEYHAAAAA. Good by s-video, good bye component. And even more good bye standard definition video. :D :) Why did this projector have to look so good for only £220 yes Yankies :) on e-Bay.

I am so pleased.

Even sex seems a bare second ( yes, right You believe that). Once there was radio, then their was Sd TV now there is Hd- TV and projection.... Whats your where next?

eh?

Love to hear views. And thanks for some superb advice cousins and fellow fighters against terror. :)

Welcome to the forum Johnny English. To me, the future will be 3D. I'd be quite happy if a little bit of the future hurried up and we were able to get rid of all the home theater cables and wires without losing quality.

Hello everyone! Just got my 4805, i'm waiting on shipment of a bulb though. I also wanted to say thanks for all the helpful info here.

I'm also wondering if anyone has a USED (BAD) lamp w/ housing for the 4805 that they would be willing to part with for a resonable price.

I'm gonna try retrofitting a replacement bulb. Has anyone successfully done this here?

My bulb counter was just coming up on 500 hours a couple weeks ago. Tonight I went and checked the counter and it now says 88 hours. I am the only person that uses my projector, so nobody could have manually reset it.

Has anyone else had this happen?

My bulb counter seems to reset randomly also. I'd say it's probably done it about 3 times already.

I there any way to find the true amount of hours?

Hello everyone! Just got my 4805, i'm waiting on shipment of a bulb though. I also wanted to say thanks for all the helpful info here.

I'm also wondering if anyone has a USED (BAD) lamp w/ housing for the 4805 that they would be willing to part with for a resonable price.

I'm gonna try retrofitting a replacement bulb. Has anyone successfully done this here?

Welcome, Eventide. I'm curious...what you are going to try to use inside the lamp housing as a replacement?

I'm also wondering if anyone has a USED (BAD) lamp w/ housing for the 4805 that they would be willing to part with for a resonable price.

I've got one.

Welcome, Eventide. I'm curious...what you are going to try to use inside the lamp housing as a replacement?
Yeah, that makes two uf us.

Could someone Please direct me to any info on color wheel noise and possible long term damage? This thread is a bear to navigate, search results are all over the map. The projector just started screaming like a table saw.

Could someone Please direct me to any info on color wheel noise and possible long term damage? This thread is a bear to navigate, search results are all over the map. The projector just started screaming like a table saw.

Try a cleaning of the wheel.

Hi Scitek. How much? Just to make sure.. I need whole lamp assembly. I'd prefer paying through Paypal. I'm in Denver, Colorado zipcode 80206.

Hi spyder & Alex, i've actually got a few lamps to test.. It's probubly going to be a pulse-start metal halide. The bulb is definately larger than the standard so i'm planning on fabricating an extension on the housing, i'm also gonna need to fit in a new ballast. In the end, bulb replacements would be about $30 and depending on the bulb 10,000+ life.

I'll definately share my results here.

Good luck, Eventide. It sounds like you have a good grasp at what you're doing, so it will be interesting to see what happens. I'm really curious how you are going to either convert the 200W standard on the 4805 down to 8-10W to attain a 800-1000 lumen bulb, or how you will address the issue of a 200W pulse-start metal halide bulb putting out 20,000 lumens on the PJ.

Good luck, Eventide. It sounds like you have a good grasp at what you're doing, so it will be interesting to see what happens. I'm really curious how you are going to either convert the 200W standard on the 4805 down to 8-10W to attain a 800-1000 lumen bulb, or how you will address the issue of a 200W pulse-start metal halide bulb putting out 20,000 lumens on the PJ.

If i use a pulse-start there would definately be a seperate enclosure which would be cooled independently and i was planning to just "direct" some of the light down through the stock lamp enclosure. My other choice would be a single ended standard metal halide which is 70watts with a 4000 lumen output which is alot smaller and i should be able to just extend the stock enclosure to fit. I might have to bypass the pj's power supply all together though..

I have the schematics for the x1 but it appears the 4805 is a little different, i'm still working on mapping out what's what. If anyone has schematics for the 4805 plase post!!!

Eventide,

Are you talking about something like this:

http://www.goodmart.com/products/36820.htm

...and then configuring not just the plastic lamp surround, but also the actual bulb itself around it in order to direct the light?

My 4805's bulb finally bit the dust. Any recommended source where I can save a few bucks? :) I don't quite remember how many hours I have on it, I guess I'll find out when I reset the counter.

See some posts for cleaning color wheel, there's whole threads dedicated to this, try the FAQ post at begining of this forum from Japhule. It has whole section devoted to it.

For anyone with *ahem* a buzz, it can be cured. Vacuum the screens every 150-200 hours. I use canned air with a shopvac at rear of the unit (so the dislodged dust has somewhere to go). I really try to focus the air on the bearing area, seems to work. I use a long qtip to clean the wheel gently with eyeglass lens cleaner. (follow the instructions in FAQ)

My color wheel buzz was very severe and now is non existent with regular maintenance.

Good luck.

3200 hours and counting, 1 of the first 40 units produced!

Still best bang for the buck.

Wow, I'm impressed by the brave guys who get busy inside their 4805's. I've had reason to send mine to InFocus enough times that it's been maintained by them so far! Sooner or later I know I've got to get on with it myself. I'm sure that once you know what to do it's easy, but I haven't had the guts to try for myself yet.

Wow, I'm impressed by the brave guys who get busy inside their 4805's. I've had reason to send mine to InFocus enough times that it's been maintained by them so far! Sooner or later I know I've got to get on with it myself. I'm sure that once you know what to do it's easy, but I haven't had the guts to try for myself yet.

No doubt. I've only been brave enought to perform a color wheel cleaning, and put up with a couple dust blobs for about 8 mo. I should be getting mine back today after a light tube repair, so hopefully they rid of my dust blobs per my request as well.

What's the turnaround time when sending PJ to Infocus for repair/maintenance?

What's the turnaround time when sending PJ to Infocus for repair/maintenance?I had it back in my hands 9 days after I sent it in.

Thanks for the cleaning tips, guys, I'm all into do-it-yourself maintenance, as I bought a refurb with no extended warranty. Not my best decision, I guess.

Are there no bounds to your doom and gloom prognosticating?



I agree, I may be playing devil's advocate here, and for good reason, I might add. However, you my friend are in total and complete Denial.



As a matter of fact, I'd say less than 20 people have stated that their light tube has actually failed.
I will take your word for it as I am sure you have done the requisite research to come up with that number and in the process may have possibly gone through all the light-tube related posts in this thread and probably the older thread as well, and then you accurately tallied them to arrive at this number.

I am sure it not just an arbitrary number that you are throwing around you know, for the sake of argument, and I am sure your "failed" definition includes and refers to the yellowish-brown vertical band issue - a.k.a - the "light-tube" problem and not something else.


this forum is all about helping each other. It's not for spreading Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt.

If referring to posts on this very thread "spreads fear, uncertainty and doubt", then I can't help it.

As I said earlier, no end to this discussion, so better to leave it alone. :D

InFocus turnaround time from your door and back to you is generally 2 weeks, occasionally a few days sooner, (or later) depending on the problem.

InFocus turnaround time from your door and back to you is generally 2 weeks, occasionally a few days sooner, (or later) depending on the problem.

Unless you're poor cavu. :confused:

Originally Posted by smithfarmer
Are there no bounds to your doom and gloom prognosticating?
I agree, I may be playing devil's advocate here, and for good reason, I might add.
No, you are playing Chicken Little.

However, you my friend are in total and complete Denial. You're correct. I am in total and complete denial to your claims that the 4805 has a design defect that will cause everyones light tube to fail.

Originally Posted by smithfarmer
As a matter of fact, I'd say less than 20 people have stated that their light tube has actually failed. I will take your word for it as I am sure you have done the requisite research to come up with that number and in the process may have possibly gone through all the light-tube related posts in this thread and probably the older thread as well, and then you accurately tallied them to arrive at this number.

I am sure it not just an arbitrary number that you are throwing around you know, for the sake of argument, and I am sure your "failed" definition includes and refers to the yellowish-brown vertical band issue - a.k.a - the "light-tube" problem and not something else. Yes my figure includes the yellowish-brown vertical band issue and no I did not go back and count every poster who said that theirs had failed. If you truly believe that it will help in bolstering your claims though, feel free to do so. While you're at it, count up the total number of 4805 owners and you'll see how truly small the light tube failure rate actually is.

If referring to posts on this very thread "spreads fear, uncertainty and doubt", then I can't help it. Surely life for you would be better without that ominous feeling of dread that at the present time must permeate your home theater. Well, for the sake of your sanity, quickly sell your 4805 before it's inevitable (according to you) light tube failure. You'll feel better. Really, you will. Think about it. No more worries and you'll finally be able to relax and sleep at night.

As I said earlier, no end to this discussion, so better to leave it alone. :D
Agreed, so long as you promise not to run around proclaiming the sky is falling and we're all doomed. ;)

Guys, guys! The 4805 thread is outstanding. Let's please not make it like some of the gaming "flame-war/fanboi" threads. While I'll agree that there is a small ratio of those with light-tube issues in comparison to AVS owners, the issue does exist. The biggest concern, at least up until the past week or so, was that there was no resolution to the problem other than giving it back to IF who chages a hefty sum for repairs. Since we now have a confirmed fix with nice images just a few pages back, some of the fears should be alleviated. I will say that I've had a few palpatations about it myself.

The 4805 is a phenomenal unit, even without the oft-used stipulation of "for the money". It also does have a few issues, some of which are considerable in regard to cost. What I am MOST grateful for though, is the plethora of information that is readily available and exchanged between many, many intelligent, dedicated, and civilized owners on the 2 huge threads. I will fight to the death anyone that jeapordizes this invaluable data!

Can't we all just get along? We are all in this together, after all. Let's agree to disatree...stupid trees anyway. :)

Even though I'll be upgrading soon, I've been a pretty happy owner for close to 2 years and can't stand to see Infocus being disparaged unnecessarily. I will defend them when the need arises. As long as there are no more unsubstantiated claims of design defects, I will heed your pleas for a cease-fire. ;)

1 week and my repair to the light tube seems to be OK. Will keep updating my results.

I bought mine from Stales refurb. sometime in Dec 05 with two year extended warranty. I hope both color wheel and light tube are covered by this warranty. I remember someone posting that Infocus has told this same warranty company that staples uses that the only way the light tube would go wrong was if it is abused. He never posted the final outcome of his dispute. But anyway why would Infocus say such a thing and what is considered abuse? The only thing I do to my PJ is bulb maintenance every 250 hours as recommended. During my last two bulb maintenance there was hardly any dust in there. I am now at 720 hours and next clean up due soon at 750. I think I heard a high pitch notice the day before. I couldn't be sure if it was coming from the PJ but it was a sound that I never heard before in my HT room. I only hear it now for a few second when I turn the PJ on and now I have to put my ears close to the PJ hear it and even then it is so faint I don't know if it was there from the beginning or the beginning of a color wheel problem. What are the signs to look for before sending the unit for repair? Should I send my unit at the first sign of a problem or live with it till the problem becomes obvious or wait till close to the end of my warranty?

Guys, guys! The 4805 thread is outstanding. Let's please not make it like some of the gaming "flame-war/fanboi" threads......

Can't we all just get along? We are all in this together, after all. Let's agree to disatree...stupid trees anyway. :)
I totally agree.

I have been saying all along, we should simply agree to disagree on this topic, as no argument 'Smithfarmer' makes will change my mind and neither will any of mine change his perspective.

What has been written is up there for all to see and they can come to their own conclusions.

So no need for additional postings on this topic. Please don't make me, I plead you........hahhahaha :D

He never posted the final outcome of his dispute.
Originally Posted by BobBart
Just an update for anyone following my extended staples warranty dealings. The warranty company has agreed to refund me the full purchase price of the projector. Which is what I was hoping for. I guess that $80 warranty was worth it. The new optoma hd70 is looking like my next purchase. No more infocus for me.

Originally Posted by BobBart
Just an update for anyone following my extended staples warranty dealings. The warranty company has agreed to refund me the full purchase price of the projector. Which is what I was hoping for. I guess that $80 warranty was worth it. The new optoma hd70 is looking like my next purchase. No more infocus for me.

Another IF jumper. I am getting nervous about my next PJ. Was doing all the calcs and measurements for the IN76, but looks like that may be a mistake. What to do, what to do :confused:

Originally Posted by BobBart
Just an update for anyone following my extended staples warranty dealings. The warranty company has agreed to refund me the full purchase price of the projector. Which is what I was hoping for. I guess that $80 warranty was worth it. The new optoma hd70 is looking like my next purchase. No more infocus for me.
Thanks man, I missed that. Good news to hear in any case.

I was thinking of doing a BF special again, but I think this year it's going to be Costco all the way, just for the peace of mind in the lifetime warantee. I love PJs, but with the vast ranges in actual (not projected) bulb life, and other issues that can arise, it would be nice to never have to worry about it (with any brand, not just IF).

I was thinking of doing a BF special again, but I think this year it's going to be Costco all the way, just for the peace of mind in the lifetime warantee. I love PJs, but with the vast ranges in actual (not projected) bulb life, and other issues that can arise, it would be nice to never have to worry about it (with any brand, not just IF).Unfortunately, the lifetime warranty might soon be coming to an end.

In one of the >$3500 pj threads someone stated that Costco has strongly hinted at one of their latest shareholder meetings that their policy will have to change regarding returns on home electronics. Member abuse of the liberal return policy is affecting the bottom line.

For example, with the current price of plasma tv's being half of what they were a few years ago, too many people are swapping out perfectly good 2 or 3 year old sets just to pocket the savings which can easily top $2-3K. Then you have people who return their pj because they want to upgrade, get their refund and buy a better unit for less money.

They also said the policy has already been amended in the California stores and it now allows for only a 30 day return period on electronics. I don't know how factual this is, but if it's true, it would be a shame. I've read many posts by people who do abuse the policy and it leads me to believe it is very plausible a good thing is coming to an end.

quite frankly it was a foolish policy to begin with and begged to be abused. What needs to happen is for these retailers to use some of the profits to provide standard 10 year to lifetime manufacturer or third party warranties on the units and force the manufactures to honor it so that the product quality can be improved. No abuse and less breakage will follow.

What's the turnaround time when sending PJ to Infocus for repair/maintenance?

They got mine on 8/25 and today it still says "Recieved and In Repair". (13 business days so far) I'm gonna try and contact them to see what is going on with it.

They got mine on 8/25 and today it still says "Recieved and In Repair". (13 business days so far) I'm gonna try and contact them to see what is going on with it.
That sucks, mine was received on 8/31, and I just got it back yesterday! Light tube, color wheel, and dust blobs have been fixed!!!

Weird thing though, is that I had readjust my ceiling mount, because the picture was 5" below what I originally had it. Does anyone know why horizontal and vertical settings are at various numbers (like 67 and 53), even after performing a factory reset? I noticed this before I sent it away (don't know if the numbers were the same, but they definitely weren't 50/50), but is this because of setting the pj to "ceiling". Anyway, I just left them at what they were after a reset, and adjusted my ceiling mount accordingly.

Also, I thought my bulb had suddenly gone bad because the menu drop down is now a darker grey (still readable), so I assume that this is because of a firmware upgrade.

In addition, my lamp hours now say 490, when they were @ 1600!?!

In addition, my lamp hours now say 490, when they were @ 1600!?!

Uhhhhhh...I cannot see any explanation for this other than you got a different unit back. :confused:

Even if they had put in a new bulb or did a complete reset, then left it on 24/7 to test during the entire time they had it, it still wouldn't work out to 490 hours.

Uhhhhhh...I cannot see any explanation for this other than you got a different unit back. :confused:

Even if they had put in a new bulb or did a complete reset, then left it on 24/7 to test during the entire time they had it, it still wouldn't work out to 490 hours.

Yeah, I'll have to check my serial number, although I guess it would probably be easy just to tack on my casing to another unit... I'm going to comment on this in my feedback, which will definitely be positive overall. Strange that I didn't get any paperwork on what work was actually performed as well...

Strange that I didn't get any paperwork on what work was actually performed as well...I didn't get any either, but they'll read the repair ticket to you over the phone if you call.

they do not usually tell you what they did with it. I also believe that they had replaced everything but my shell on mine, but without a detail list of what was performed, I cannot be sure.

The only thing I do to my PJ is bulb maintenance every 250 hours as recommended.

I haven't heard of this. Is there any documentation on this procedure? I have 300 hours on mine.

I believe that 250 hour thing is in the manual, it even suggests earlier than 250 if the environment is dusty.

Err, correction, it's cleaning the filters in the bulb assembly... not the bulb itself.

I am having a little issue...for me it does not fit in the dust blob or the light tube problems.
Yesterday I noticed three circular light leakage on the right side on my screen. The leakage is outside the screen. I do not notice other issue inside the screen.
Has anyone experience this problem?
best regards,

I am having a little issue...for me it does not fit in the dust blob or the light tube problems.
Yesterday I noticed three circular light leakage on the right side on my screen. The leakage was outside the screen. I did not notice other issue inside the screen.
Had anyone experience this problem?
best regards,

That's the dust blob....

Options

1. Send it to IF (if still in warranty)
2. DIY cleaning

Add me to the light tube issue. I can see it on right bottom corner, about 1 inch thick. This is the refurbished projector from Staples purchased at last BF. I have the extended warranty from Staples, but not sure if they will fix it. If I get refund, that HD70 looks very nice....

I have a couple of pretty bad dust blobs, but I can't notice them unless the screen goes completely black, which doesn't happen often, so I just don't care.

I NEED HELP!!

My 4805 barely has 400 hours and is now experiencing this problem. I've done a search and did not find anyone with anything similiar. Basically, I turn on the pj and I can hear (some kind of) fan come on for 2-3 seconds, then it turns off! The bulb turns on and projects a picture with on to the wall, without the normal fan noise going. After about a minute I suddenly hear an intermittant sound pattern (1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0). It's not a beep or grind but sounds like something mechanical. All this with the projection picture still up on the wall!

Too afraid that without the familiar fan (noise) the bulb will explode, I quickly turn off the pj. I've turned the projector on 2 times after on seperate days and I get the same problem.

So I take the projector down from my ceiling mount, and remove the bulb. Looks okay, filter is a little dusty. Cleaned it out, reinstalled the bulb and same bad noise and no familiar fan activity.

I take the bulb out and turn on the projector while examining the color wheel and fans. Inside fan (closer to the color wheel) remains on while the pj is on. The fan closest to the bulb never cycles. Color wheel is intact. So as before, after about 1 minute, I hear the intermittant noise. The fan also looks like it wants to cycle but doesn't make any full revolution. The intermittant noise is consistant with the outside (to the bulb) fan jerking in what looks like an attempt to spin.

Help! Thanks in advance!

Basically, I turn on the pj and I can hear (some kind of) fan come on for 2-3 seconds, then it turns off!...The fan closest to the bulb never cycles...The fan also looks like it wants to cycle but doesn't make any full revolution. The intermittant noise is consistant with the outside (to the bulb) fan jerking in what looks like an attempt to spin.

Sound like a bad fan. I had a pj a while back that did this, but it was a loose connection. My advice, since this is a simple and inexpensive troubleshoot, is to pull the fan and replace, making certain to get one with the same specs. I'd imagine they should be readily available at any computer store. Please keep in mind that I'm merely suggesting a cheap shot at repair, and not stating that this will resolve the issue for certain.

[QUOTE=zzzzzzzz]Too afraid that without the familiar fan (noise) the bulb will explode, I quickly turn off the pj. [QUOTE]

There's a Thermal swith just above the lamp housing which should shut the projector off if it gets too hot. But i'd follow spyder's suggestion and change out the fan to be sure.

Does any one else have a BAD lamp w/housing they'd want to get rid of?

Also, does anyone leave their projector on for long periods of time? such as using it as a computer monitor for example.

Also, does anyone leave their projector on for long periods of time?Ours often runs 15 hours a day with over 4000 hours on the first lamp.

I can do 15 hours as well. About 2800 hours now in 10 months on first lamp.

cavu & spyder, do you guys let the PJ cool off in standby or do you do the hard shut off?

Has anyone just left thier pj running?

ohh, and spyder.. sorry bout the delayed post but I wasn't able to post links yet.
Eventide,

Are you talking about something like this:

http://www.goodmart.com/products/36820.htm

...and then configuring not just the plastic lamp surround, but also the actual bulb itself around it in order to direct the light?

Close, my first choice would be this bulb: www.eyelighting.com/crsemh.html with a reflector which will be cooled seperately, which would add about 4 inches to the PJ. I'm planning to bypass the stock ballast altogether so as the projector just thinks the lamp is already and ALWAYS lit and use the "screen trigger" to swith on/off the new ballast & lamp.

do you guys let the PJ cool off in standbyWe turn it off with the remote. About the only time I've ever powered it down completely was when we went to NZ for a month.